The Kukmin Ilbo Achieves Two Key Outcomes in 6.4 Billion KRW Lawsuit Victory Against the World Mission Society Church of God (Formerly Ahn Sahng-hong Witnesses)

The Kukmin Ilbo's legal victory against the World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG), involving a 6.4 billion KRW lawsuit, has yielded two significant outcomes. Firstly, it has unequivocally confirmed that the WMSCOG is a doomsday cult. Secondly, it has exposed the group as a heretical organization that fosters family abandonment, divorce, and coerced donations, targeting women in their 20s to 40s from mainstream Christian churches.

The Supreme Court’s Third Division (Presiding Justice Kim Shin) ruled that "When an authoritative pastor preaches doomsday theology, it can instill fear in believers. This fear may lead to domestic discord, divorce, the expansion of the church's influence, and the accumulation of church wealth through donations or property contributions from its members."

During the appeal, the WMSCOG engaged the prominent law firm LKB & Partners, led by attorney Lee Kwang-bum, in an effort to refute its promotion of doomsday theology and dissociate itself from issues such as divorce and coerced donations. However, the court concluded that "divorce cases involving female WMSCOG members frequently cite religious conflicts as the cause of marital breakdowns. It is evident that some female members have left their homes or divorced due to religious issues."

Furthermore, the court noted, "The WMSCOG’s accumulated assets, when converted to monetary value, are estimated to be in the trillions of KRW. The source of this wealth is ultimately the donations of its members. There is no substantial evidence to entirely refute the causal relationship between its doomsday theology and the accumulation of wealth through member contributions."

The Supreme Court acknowledged that the WMSCOG had indeed promoted doomsday theology. However, it partially granted the WMSCOG’s request for a counter-statement publication, asserting that “there is no evidence to prove that the church incited fear to expand its influence or accumulate assets.” Unlike damage claims or corrections, counter-statement publications merely present the opposing party’s rebuttal without examining factual accuracy.

Jung Dong-seop, President of the Alliance for Countermeasures Against Cult Abuse, remarked, “The WMSCOG is a prototypical pseudo-religious cult that destabilizes families with its erroneous doctrines. The Supreme Court’s ruling has ensured the freedom to critique the doctrines and practices of cults.” He further praised the Kukmin Ilbo, stating, “For two years, the Kukmin Ilbo fought a challenging battle on behalf of the Korean Christian community. I hope it continues to protect Korean Christianity as a vigilant newspaper.”

By Baek Sang-hyun
Email: 100sh@kmib.co.kr

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