[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] In April 2009, the leader Jung Myung-seok (also transliterated as Jeong Myeong-seok) was convicted of rape by the Supreme Court of Korea and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
[20] Providence's core teaching are found in a series of unpublished precepts called the 30 Lessons,[a] which bear considerable resemblance to the "Divine Principle" of the Unification movement,[12][21][22][23][24] which are partly inspired by teachings of Kim Baek-moon [ko], including his book The Fundamental Principles of Christianity (基督教根本原理 drafted March 2, 1946, published March 2, 1958).
[32] During the instruction of the advanced level[a] of the 30 Lessons, it is taught that Jung is the Messiah, proven through the numerological interpretation of prophesied dates and times in the book of Daniel,[33] although more recent statements from a representative seems to contradict this claim.
[36][35][39] Jung was found to have forced female followers to have sex with him "as a religious behaviour meant to save their souls" in the Korean Court of Law.
[44] In this manner, Providence forms non-religious organisations for the purpose of attracting young people without initially revealing the religious nature of the group or their real motives,[45][46][47][d] a practice ruled "fraudulent" under law by the Japanese Supreme Court.
In April 2014, the Australian government-funded television network Special Broadcasting Service reported on their activities in Australia, including statements by former members that they sought young attractive women.
[63][45] Members as students working part-time jobs were expected to contribute a minimum of ¥1,000 at weekly church service, and as full-salaried wage-earners, monthly tithes and bonus-time donations.
While being wanted on rape charges, Jung at a July 2003 mass wedding urged the couples via a big-screen Internet connection to have babies to increase the number of Providence members.
These clubs hold a wide variety of activities including the "Eagle Cup" soccer tournament in Taipei city and regular model training.
[g][h][81][85] In one episode, SBS reported how female members of Providence had been flown to and held against their will at Jung's hideout in Anshan in the Chinese province Liaoning on the border to Korea.
During his sojourns in Japan, Jung summoned upwards of 10 women on an almost daily basis, and under the false pretext of running a "health check" would have improper sexual encounters with them.
[45][88] In Taiwan too, similar incidents have been reported, where many female members of his organization were ordered to undress for a "health check", be subjected various forms of sexual abuse, including having sex with him to wipe off their sins.
Known internally as the "Evergreens" (상록수; 常緑樹; sang-rok-su), these female members are said to comprise a "reserve corps" for "sex bribes" (성상납; 性上納; seong sangnap), a term for sexual favors accorded to those exercising power.
[l] Jo Gyeong-suk (조경숙), former head of the group's Seoul branch and herself an alleged victim, stated salvation through sexual union with Jung was part of its canon.
They become severely depressed and receive psychiatric treatment, suffer various illnesses and social phobias as a result of the stress, and are unable to marry.
"[94][95] The accusers added that Providence leader Jung, even while serving sentence in prison, is supplied with photograph profiles of female members, for him to make selections on which women would be inducted as "Evergreens".
The request was denied as the South Korean court ruled that Netflix and MBC "appear to have made the program based on a considerable amount of objective and subjective materials backing its claim.
"[98] After the broadcast, JMS filed approximately 40 lawsuits and complaints against sexual assault victims, Professor Kim Do-hyeong of Dankook University, and PD Cho Seong-hyun.
In response, Professor Kim Do-hyeong questioned, "This law was established to punish bizarre sexual criminals like Jeong Myeong-seok and his accomplices.
Is this law really applicable to PD Cho Seong-hyun, who exposed the reality of the grotesque sexual offender Jeong Myeong-seok and raised awareness in society?
"[99] Meanwhile, as PD Cho Seong-hyun has been referred to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office on charges of violating the Special Act on Sexual Violence, causing widespread social repercussions, JMS has sparked further controversy by initiating an organized petition campaign through a notice from the church members' association, calling for Cho's punishment.
According to the Chinese and South Korean police, Jung had been on the run in Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, Mainland China and other countries between 1999 and 2007.
[51][102] In 2001, Jung Myung-seok was investigated by Taiwanese authorities on multiple charges of sexual assault, but he left the country without standing trial.
[74] In February 2007, Interpol requested for the fingerprints of Jung from South Korea, who was then thought to be in Costa Rican territories under false documentation.
[108] According to Korean investigative magazine SisaIN, Jung was hiding in Qianshan near Anshan, Liaoning Province, China after escaping Hong Kong in 2003.
[42] Reportedly Jung would be shown photographs of female members of his church, and once he chooses his "sexual gift", she would be conveyed to his place of stay outside Korea.
In its verdict in November 2009 Seoul Western District Court [ko] ruled that "the plaintiff's right to bodily integrity was violated and she suffered psychological pain as a result of the sexual violence of defendant...
[52][131] On October 4, 2022, Jung Myung-seok was arrested by the Daejeon District Court on charges of sexually assaulting two women of Hong Kong and Australian nationalities.
[2] On October 8, 2024, the Supreme Court has finalized a 7-year prison sentence for Kim Ji-sun, also known as Jeong Jo-eun, the "second-in-command" of the JMS cult, for aiding and abetting quasi-rape and forcible molestation.
In addition to the prison sentence, she has been ordered to complete 80 hours of a sexual violence treatment program and faces a 10-year employment restriction.