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The World Mission Society of the Church of God (formerly known as the Ahnsahnghong Witness Society) received a presidential citation last month, but an investigation by the Kookmin Daily revealed a crucial problem with the award.

According to the government award guidelines, the Church of God falls into the category of "cases where a government award is not appropriate" because it has caused a social problem and has been reported in the media. However, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries awarded the Church of God the Presidential Citation without proper verification. The ministry acknowledged that "there was a lapse in oversight," but stated that "it is difficult to revoke the award.“

The Ministry of Oceans and Atmospheres awarded the Church of God with the Presidential Commendation at the 20th Sea Day Meritorious Person Award Ceremony held at the Government Sejong Office on March 8, saying that it has made great contributions to the development of the national industry by fostering the maritime industry.

The Church of God self-nominated for the award in February, which is unusual for a religious organization. They also submitted materials on the Sewol ferry accident, including free meals and cleanup campaigns around beaches. After receiving the award, the Church of God launched a major publicity campaign, hanging large placards stating "Winner of the Presidential Award of the Church of God (Organization)" at each local Church of God building and placing advertisements on the front page of a national newspaper. On the Internet, people wrote, "The false claims of the Church of God Victims' Family Association were exposed to the world when the Church of God received the Presidential Award.

However, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government's 'Guidelines for Government Awards', group awards are "awards given to institutions and organizations that have made outstanding achievements in their fields or have made outstanding contributions to the interests and development of the country and society. It also strictly regulates that "nominations will be restricted if they are under investigation or have caused social controversy through various media reports and are deemed unworthy of government awards. The Ministry of Oceans and Atmospheric Affairs also stipulates in the 'Ocean Day Government Award Plan' that 'nominations will be restricted for those who have been socially criticized'.

However, the National Marine Fisheries Service ignored this guidance. A year before the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries verified its credentials in March, media outlets such as Kookmin Ilbo and CBS reported that the Church of God was a heretical and anti-social religious group that caused social problems such as divorce and runaways, but did not verify it. Jang Gil-ja, 72, who is revered as "Mother God" in the Church of God, was under investigation by prosecutors for allegedly violating the law on collecting and using donations for the ㈔WeLoveU Foundation, of which she is president. An official from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said, "We ran a criminal background check with the police, but nothing unusual was found. The lack of media verification of the Church of God was an oversight on our part," but insisted that "it is difficult to cancel the citation." Another official said, "We found out that the Church of God is a cult only after we gave it the presidential citation. We are asking the Church of God to refrain from using the citation.“

However, the Church of God actively promotes the Presidential Award on its website, stating, "The Presidential Award is more valuable because it has been awarded after detailed investigation and confirmation, from the selection of the target of the award to the public examination and determination of the size of the award, amidst the strengthening of the requirements for government awards." "If there is a problem, it is the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' problem, not ours," said a member of the Church of God. The Government Award Business Guidelines state, "If a nomination restrictor receives an award, it may be subject to revocation under Article 8, Paragraph 1, Item 1 of the Meritorious Service Act, 'If the merit is found to be false'."