An in-depth feature article published in the Korean newspaper Hangang-Ilbo_6th (March 23, 2025) _English translation
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The Harm of Yellow Journalism Driving People to the Edge, and Cyber Wreckers
They Lost Their Chance to Live and Faded Away
Kim Sae-ron, Lee Sun-kyun… A Series of Celebrity Deaths — When Will It End?
On February 16, another bright and promising young life came to an end. The death of actor Kim Sae-ron forces us to once again reflect on the distorted aspects of our society today. A star loved by the public had to pay a heavy price for her missteps. After being harshly criticized for a drunk driving incident in 2022, Kim Sae-ron took time to reflect and sought an opportunity for a comeback, but it was not easy. At the forefront of what ultimately drove her life into tragedy were yellow journalism outlets. The media also displayed hypocrisy by shifting responsibility onto cyber wreckers. (Korean term for YouTubers who specialize in posting videos that target specific people to attract viewers and ultimately make money.)
Actor Lee Sun-kyun also faced unbearable pressure and was ultimately driven to end his own life. In October 2023, he was embroiled in drug allegations, and during the police investigation, some media outlets bombarded the public with endless reports. Even though the charges were not clearly proven, public opinion remained harsh, and his image as an actor continued to plummet. Yellow journalism outlets fixated on details from the police investigation, exaggerating and misinterpreting them in their reports. Cyber wreckers further invaded his privacy, scrutinizing his family issues, financial pressures, and other personal matters. Due to the indiscriminate reporting, his reputation as an actor was severely damaged.
It is natural for the media to report on socially controversial events. However, if the media had exercised just a little more caution instead of prioritizing the public’s ‘right to know,’ these individuals might not have been driven to a path of no return. Despite the media’s claims of self-reflection, articles with sensationalist headlines designed to attract clicks are still widespread. How long must this style of reporting continue? Urgent discussions and countermeasures are needed.
Reporter: Lee Ji-hye
(Continued on page 4)
Page 4 / Issue Tracking
Sensationalist Reporting That Lacks Fairness—Is This Acceptable?
Pop King Michael Jackson: Despite Being Acquitted, Media Continues Controversy
The issue of media sensationalism extends beyond South Korea, affecting even international figures who were legally acquitted but remained subjects of controversy due to relentless media coverage. Michael Jackson, an icon of 20th-century popular music and a pioneer of musical and performance innovation, was shadowed by allegations of child molestation. These allegations were intensely raised twice, in 1993 and 2003. In 1993, the family of 13-year-old Jordan Chandler filed a lawsuit against Jackson, and the case was settled with a financial agreement. At the time, despite a lack of confirmed facts, the media flooded the public with reports that presumed his guilt. As a result, many people branded him as a criminal. However, the case never proceeded to a legal battle.
In 2003, 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo accused Jackson of sexual misconduct, leading to an intense legal battle. In 2005, a court acquitted Jackson of all 14 charges. However, the media had already inflicted severe damage on his reputation. Reports from that period were excessively sensational and provocative, mirroring the behavior of South Korean yellow journalism. Whenever allegations arose, the media and broadcasters portrayed Jackson as guilty, using eye-catching headlines and exaggerated narratives to attract attention. In particular, the incidents in 1993 and 2003 showed how the media prioritized sensational gossip over maintaining journalistic fairness. Even after the 2005 acquittal, the media continued to focus on the possibility of his guilt rather than his innocence, continuously amplifying suspicions. Is it ethical for the media to portray someone as guilty even after a court has ruled them innocent?
A Victim of Witch-Hunt Public Opinion: Pastor Jeong Myeong-seok
Religious leaders have also become victims of media-driven witch hunts. According to the Christian Gospel Mission (CGM), Pastor Jeong Myeong-seok suffered significant harm due to the unverified public accusations following the release of the Netflix documentary <I Am God> in March 2023. There have been persistent claims that reports on Pastor Jeong Myeong-seok’s case were exaggerated and distorted by the media. Certain outlets focused on attracting readers with sensational headlines and provocative content. However, many of these reports lacked proper fact-checking, with context and evidence often being distorted in the process.
In a society governed by the rule of law, the judicial system, not the media, should determine an individual’s guilt. However, when the media acts as a judge and condemns a person before a legal verdict, it compromises the fairness of legal proceedings. In Pastor Jeong’s case, even while investigations and trials were ongoing, media and broadcast reports had already labeled him as a criminal. This indicates that trial by media occurred before a legal judgment was made.
Exaggerating selective claims while ignoring the complex context surrounding an incident can easily mislead the public. Until a legal verdict is reached, the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ must be upheld, and the media should respect this when reporting. News reporting must be based on facts and should help the public make objective judgments about events.
If media-fueled public opinion influences judicial decisions without due process, it not only ruins an individual’s life but also threatens the very foundation of the rule of law. The role and responsibility of the media must be reexamined, with a stronger commitment to balanced and fair reporting.
Reporter: Lee Ji-hye
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series/Christian Gospel Mission Key Doctrines Analytics
The Bible’s Resurrection and Rapture: How it Works
Christian Gospel Mission (also known as Jesus Morning Star, or JMS). Founded by Rev. Jeong Myeong-Seok, the mission has attracted attention for its rational and scientifical interpretation of the Bible, the Christian scripture that differs from the literal interpretation of the established church. Especially in the 1980s, many young people and elites were drawn to Jeong’s Bible-based teachings and evangelized, and they have played a pivotal role in the growth of the organization. In addition, there is still a constant stream of people knocking on the doors of the mission. Why is it that the members of the mission are able to keep their faith firmly in place and continue to live a solid life of faith in the face of all sorts of external tribulations, and why people continue to be drawn to the mission and seek to join? We believe the key to the secret lies in the words of Pastor Jeong Myeong-Seok. In a series of articles on the mission’s major doctrines with the help of its officials, this issue focuses on the resurrection and rapture in the Bible and how it is accomplished. The Bible consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament<Editor’s note>.
There is one thing that those who believe in God eagerly hope for, and that is the resurrection. It is said that when Jesus returns, those who have believed in God will be raised from the dead, and even those in the grave will wake up and leap for joy. Can the body of a dead person really come back to life?
Actually, there are instances in the Bible where people were raised from the dead. In the Old Testament, Elijah raised the son of the widow of Zarephath, and Elisha raised the son of the woman of Shunem. In the New Testament, the son of the widow of Nain vitalized by Jesus, the daughter of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, Dorcas, a widow vitalized by Peter’s prayer, and Jairus, a young man vitalized by the apostle Paul’s prayer. Not only in the Bible, but in rare cases, we can find stories in the news and on the internet of people who have actually died and come back to life.
The common thread is that these people have just been dead. None of the people who have been raised from the dead have died years ago. There is no example even in the Bible or in the world of a person whose body disappeared in the grave and then came back to life. Even the bodies of the people Jesus raised from the dead, because the days have expired eventually died and were buried back into the ground. Common sense tells us that when a person’s body dies, is buried, decays, and eventually returns to the earth, it’s hard to believe that the body can be resurrected and come back to life.
Resurrection is spiritual, not physical
We mentioned earlier that when you look at the New Testament book of Luke (9:60), you need to distinguish whether It’s talking about the body or the spirit. Since the Bible speaks of two kinds of death, physical death (Hebrews 9:27) and spiritual death (Ezekiel 18:4, Genesis 2:17), it follows that resurrection can refer to both physical and spiritual resurrection. Jesus clearly said that it is the spirit that he makes alive (John 6:63), so it’s reasonable to think of it as a spiritual resurrection, not a physical one.
John (5:24-29) … “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
… for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
According to John’s Gospel, Jesus is not calling the physically dead to life. It is clear that he was speaking to those who were alive in body but dead in faith, that their faith might be made alive, not to those whose bodies were actually dead. He is saying to those who are dead in heart and mind, to those who are alive in the world of death, to those who are dead in good works come to life. The resurrection in the Bible is to hear Jesus’ words, believe in God, and live a life that is transformed from the world of death to the world of life from a faith perspective. Therefore, it is not a physical resurrection of the dead body, but a spiritual resurrection of the soul.
Without a proper understanding of resurrection, we cannot do it. If we learn and believe in the wrong concept of resurrection as a physical resurrection, a resurrection of the body, we cannot achieve resurrection until the body dies. We can’t be resurrected until the body dies. The concept of resurrection should be centered on the transformation of our lives, not on the resurrection of the body from the dead. Resurrection is the transformation of our lives, accordingly the spirit’s coming out of the realm of death into the realm of life. In this way, we can achieve resurrection while still being physically alive.
Will the rapture of the body into the air Happen?
The rapture, which is the biblical equivalent of the resurrection, is believed by many believers to be the actual ascension of the body into the air. Based on the New Testament book of 1 Thessalonians (4:16-17), believers are said to be raptured and live forever. In South Korea, the Dami Mission Church caused a stir in 1992. Pastor Jang Rim – Lee claimed that the rapture take place at midnight on October 28, 1992, and many people believed him. At the time, many believed that the teachings of the Dami Mission, which claimed the rapture based on Nostradamus’ prophecy and the biblical book of Revelation, constituted a physical rapture.
On the night of October 28, 1992, the Dami Mission members, dressed in white robes they called ‘ascension robes,’ worshipped fervently, singing hymns as midnight arrived. Outside the building, the crowd was a mix of family, friends, lovers, reporters, and curious onlookers. TV stations such as KBS, MBC, and SBS, as well as foreign reporters, were all eager to cover the story. But even at midnight, nothing happened. Someone shouted, “Brothers, that time’s midnight Jerusalem time, not our time!” but nothing happened after that. “They went home, not to heaven,” was the famous line from a reporter covering the event. After the rapture controversy ended, the Dami Mission issued an apology for the rapture controversy.
On October 28, 1992, the Dami Mission issued an apology for the rapture not taking place.
Let’s be clear here: when Christianity teaches the rapture, they don’t know when or where it will happen, but they do teach and believe that Human bodies will be taken to heaven, just like the Dami Mission. Will there really be a physical rapture?
The Rapture is also a spiritual rapture! It is a transformation!
The rapture of our physical bodies into the air, as many people believe, will not happen to a single person in the world. There has never been a bodily rapture, and there certainly will not be one in the future. This misconception comes from a literal reading of the Bible. 1 Corinthians (15:50) clearly states the limitations of the human body and John (6:63) states that the soul is more precious than the body. Heaven is a spirit world, a place where spirits go, where the body can never go, where the soul goes. Just as an orchardist fertilizes and nurtures an orchard for a year, picking only the fruit in the fall and leaving the tree untouched, so God harvests only the soul, the fruit of the body, and takes it to heaven.
Just as the biblical resurrection, the resurrection we are to achieve, is not a bodily resurrection of the dead body, but a spiritual resurrection of our souls, so is the rapture. It’s not our dead bodies being raised and taken up to heaven, it’s our souls being resurrected and raptured. We are resurrected and raptured when we hear, believe, and do the words of Jesus while we are physically alive on earth and live a good life of faith. The resurrection is a change in the dimension of faith, belief, and deeds, and the rapture is a change to a higher and more unrecognizable level.
Because ‘change’ is often described as rapture, or ‘going up’ to heaven, people tend to view it as something extraordinary, but it was the rapture that fulfilled God’s will in each age. Rising to a higher level can also be called rapture, and the fulfillment of one’s wishes and hopes can be expressed as rapture for oneself. The resurrection, which is transformed, changed, and changed for the best to the highest level, is the rapture.
Those who heard, believed, and followed the words of Jesus 2000 years ago went from believing and serving God as servants to believing, serving, loving, and living as sons. They were resurrected and raptured from the Old Testament era to the New Testament era. In this age, as prophesied in the Bible, Jesus works through a messenger who appears to return in spirit. Those who believe and follow his words live their faith from as children before God to as his beloved bride. In this way, they are resurrected and raptured from the New Testament age to the age of fulfilling promises, from the old age to the new age.
In the iron ore mine, the raw ore is dug out, and iron is extracted by melting the same iron ore. But the iron becomes an airplane, an automobile, or a bicycle depending on what the maker does with it. Just as you are what you make, so man’s soul is changed by what he/she realizes and does with his/her physical body. If the body is transformed by hearing, believing, and doing the Word, loving God and living good, the soul is transformed and eventually becomes the soul of the bride before God. When the time comes, when the body is put away and goes to the heaven, the beauty and light of the transformed spirit will reign and be enjoyed forever.
The Rapture is happening now
If we want to be part of the Rapture, we need to know about it so we can prepare for it and be part of it. When will the Rapture happen? Matthew 24 says that no one knows when Jesus will return except the Father. However, he said that just like during the judgment of Noah’s flood, people would be so busy eating, drinking, and merrymaking that they would not realize that the flood would come and destroy them all. Therefore, he said to be ready and prepared.
When the time of God’s work came, Jesus returned in the spirit and spoke through a man worthy of the people of this age, and it has been more than half a century since the Rapture began. The fiery word is being preached, and the resurrection of the spiritually dead is taking place, as prophesied in the Bible. Since 1978, many people in the mission have been learning the Bible properly and living a life of faith, especially from 2009 to 2015, and have been striving to live a transformed life centered on the Word. Some of you may have seen the most intense gratitude, the deepest repentance, and the most fervent struggle. Therefore, the mission has been holding the annual Rapture Day event on March 16, 2015.
It is not a rapture of the body, but of the soul, so there is very little that is visible in physical life. But spiritually, in their hearts and minds, they live in another dimension. They firmly and unwaveringly believe that God truly loves them, and they firmly believe that their souls will be saved and go to heaven. They have husbands and wives whom they love physically, but they love God even more than their husbands and wives, and they struggle every day to become such faithful believers that God says, “You are my beloved bride.”
However, not all missionary members live this kind of life, and some struggle with their faith. However, they are proudly writing a page in the history of the covenant by believing and doing things differently than before. You are welcome to come to the Wolmyeongdong Natural Temple to see, hear, and check it out for yourself!
Listen to the teachings of the mission, and ask any questions you may have!
Written by Kang Min-soo (Reporter)
Data provided by Na Myung-man (Christian Gospel Mission Education Department)
Page 6 /On-Site Coverage
Christian Gospel Mission’s ‘Day of Rapture’ Draws 50,000 to Wolmyeongdong Natural Temple
Church members shine with pride in God’s new history… Demonstrating continued strength
Marking the 10th anniversary of Spiritual Rapture amid rain and wind, striving for ‘a higher-level life of faith’
Despite biased media reports against Pastor Jeong Myeong-seok and the CGM, the fervor for the gospel remains strong
The event of ‘the Day of Spiritual Rapture,’ known as the largest event of the Christian Gospel Mission (commonly referred to as JMS, Jesus Morning Star), was held on a record-breaking scale on March 16. Despite continuous distorted and biased reporting by the media and broadcasters, as well as the legal troubles faced by Pastor Jeong, believers from 77 countries gathered to commemorate the CGM’s vision of ‘Spiritual Rapture,’ outwardly demonstrating the robustness of their faith community.
The event, themed ‘The History of Glory of God, the Holy Spirit, and the Son,’ was held at the Wolmyeongdong Natural Temple in Jinsan-myeon, Geumsan-gun, Chungcheongnam-do. Before the event began, the journalist who visited the site witnessed a continuous influx of believers flooding the Natural Temple despite the drizzling rain. Around 50,000 people, including believers from 77 countries, journalists, and invited external guests, attended the event. A significant number of prospective believers currently evangelized and studying the CGM’s core doctrines were also present. Through live streaming, hundreds of thousands of believers worldwide joined the event online. The CGM stated that despite the record-breaking turnout, they took thorough measures for order and safety, ensuring the event concluded without any accidents.
The Dramatic Weather Reflects the 46-Year Journey of the Christian Gospel Mission
Since the first Spiritual Rapture in 2015, the CGM has held annual events to commemorate it. A CGM representative stated, ‘This year is particularly meaningful as it marks the 10th anniversary of Spiritual Rapture, so we planned programs to reflect on the 46-year history of the CGM with gratitude to the Holy Trinity and Pastor Jeong.’
During the main Sunday service, Pastor Jeong’s prayer of worship to the Holy Trinity and his sermon were delivered. As the sermon reached its climax, the rain clouds cleared, and the sun emerged, instantly brightening the sky. Congregants at the site expressed deep gratitude for what they perceived as a divine sign through the weather. The journalist also experienced something rare and extraordinary that day. A CGM representative commented, ‘The 6,000-year history led by God, and the journey of Pastor Jeong and the CGM, seemed to be symbolically represented by the weather. Just as difficulties arise along the way, the end will align with God’s promises and turn out well.’
The Biblical Meaning of ‘The Air’ and Spiritual Rapture
In Christianity, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 states, ‘Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,’ which has traditionally been interpreted as believers’ physical ascension into the air upon Jesus’ return in the flesh. However, Pastor Jeong Myeong-seok has been teaching the concept of Spiritual Rapture rather than a literal physical ascension for the past 47 years. He interprets ‘the air’ in 1 Thessalonians as ‘the Earth’ from God’s perspective rather than the sky above Earth. Similarly, the “cloud” does not refer to the clouds in the sky. According to the prophecy in the Old Testament, in the Book of Daniel (7:13-14), which says, “One like a son of man came with the clouds of heaven…,” people expected God to come riding on the clouds of the sky. However, it is said that, in reality, God came wearing the flesh of Jesus. Besides this, there are many verses throughout the Old Testament that metaphorically refer to people as clouds. In other words, “clouds” symbolize the person whom God uses for His mission in that era, along with the people who follow that person. The expression in 1 Thessalonians about being “caught up in the clouds” is also said to mean being drawn into the group of those who have been evangelized through the gospel.
Based on the journalist’s investigation, the CGM teaches that Jesus returns spiritually, not in the flesh. While mainstream Christian denominations uphold the belief in Jesus’ physical resurrection and return, Pastor Jeong has consistently proclaimed, based on numerous Bible verses, that Jesus resurrected spiritually. Just as Elijah ascended to heaven in the Old Testament and later returned in spirit in the New Testament, the one who comes is always spiritual, and God carries out His work through a physical vessel on Earth. Those who listen to and follow the new teachings conveyed through the appointed figure of the age achieve ‘physical rapture’ by living a life of loving God and their neighbors with all their heart, soul, and strength, and their spirits are saved and achieve ‘spiritual rapture’, — entering heaven at the time determined by God.
A CGM representative stated, ‘Believers in the CGM take pride in fulfilling God’s purpose in creating humankind and strive daily to live a “raptured life” filled with joy, gratitude, and the practice of the Word. This is the wedding banquet prophesied in the Bible.’
After the Sunday service, a special documentary titled “The Light of Life: The Beginning of Salvation”, which depicts the life of Pastor Jeong, was screened. The video narrated his journey of enduring countless trials under the guidance of Jesus until he was raised up as a worker of God, ultimately establishing the CGM through intense struggle. It recounted how he succeeded in global evangelism and reached the present day despite facing dramatic adversity. His unwavering love for God and Jesus, which began in his youth and continues unchanged to this day, deeply moved the congregation.
In the video, the narrator stated, “The light of life that began in a small mountain village 80 years ago is now spreading across the world, shining upon it,” and added, “No one can fully comprehend the desperate struggles and tearful moments Pastor Jeong endured in order to fulfill God’s will, but the glorious history that unfolds will ultimately testify to it all.”
The History of God’s Providence… Proclaimed Through Art
The CGM is also gaining attention for Pastor Jeong Myeong-seok interpreting the Bible logically and fostering a sophisticated artistic culture. Following the Sunday service, a grand-scale artistic performance was held, featuring not only professional performance groups but also university students, second-generation CGM members, and even elementary school children. The performance was staged on a T-shaped stage with a 2,000-member choir and orchestra, creating a magnificent spectacle. In addition, a variety of well-crafted performances, including praise songs, hip-hop, cheerleading, worship dance, contemporary dance, and traditional Korean music, captivated the audience.
In particular, Taiwan and Japan, where the CGM’s gospel outreach is highly active, presented a comprehensive artistic showcase with over 1,200 performers, drawing significant attention. The moment was filled with inspiration and joy, shared not only by the performers on stage but also by church members and invited guests at Wolmyeongdong Natural Temple.
After the official event ended, as church members and external guests exited Wolmyeongdong Natural Temple, ten volunteer performance teams continued to praise the Holy Trinity and spread the warmth of grace and inspiration. Additionally, selected music videos created by church members reinterpreting the ‘Masterpiece’, — a collection of praise songs, which is said to have been composed by Pastor Jeong under the inspiration of God and the Holy Spirit—were also screened. One performer commented, “The foundation of all artistic performances in this event was the ‘Masterpiece’, which encapsulates the core doctrine of the CGM and the essence of God’s history. We will inherit the faith of our spiritual teacher, Jesus, and Pastor Jeong, and continue proclaiming the gospel of rapture worldwide.”
Wolmyeongdong Natural Temple—The Starting Point of Gospel Outreach
Wolmyeongdong Natural Temple, which attracts more than a million visitors annually, is a source of great pride for the CGM and a place where God’s history of the new era unfolds. As the CGM began to expand significantly in the 1990s, Pastor Jeong made a promise to establish a temple pleasing to God rather than settling for a small rented church. Thus, he began developing his hometown of Wolmyeongdong. What was once a small and barren valley has, over the course of 30 years, been transformed according to God’s plan and design into a majestic temple. It has become a place where tens of thousands of people gather for worship day and night, and where various CGM’s events take place.
During the journalist’s visit, it was evident that despite the criticism and attacks that have been directed at Pastor Jeong and the CGM since 2023 due to biased media and broadcast coverage driven by witch-hunt-style public opinion, the CGM has remained undeterred. Instead, it has strengthened its focus on evangelism, using Wolmyeongdong Natural Temple as a center for spreading the gospel. In February, an outreach event was held for first-time visitors to Wolmyeongdong who had been invited by church members. Additionally, distinctive mission events are planned to take place every month.
A CGM member who attended the Day of Rapture event stated, “I have once again realized the blessing of spiritual rapture and the preciousness of my existence in God’s eyes. Although Pastor Jeong and we have been gravely misunderstood due to biased broadcasts and a trial by media, we will continue to proclaim the gospel of the CGM through our transformed lives, guided by prayer and the Word.”
Reporter: Yang Oh-seok
Page 7 / Culture
Title: ‘Seven Years with teacher Jeong Myeong-Seok’
Meet the True Master who opened new spiritual horizons with his complete interpretation of the Bible
Subtitle: ‘The Life of Rev. Jeong Myeong-Seok’, a minister of God revealed by his disciple, the deceased Professor Kim Jong Jin
The deceased Professor Kim Jong-jin, who had been experiencing spirit distress in his life, met Rev. Jeong Myeong-Seok during his life and was led to a new path in life. He followed in Rev. Jeong’s footsteps as Rev. Jeong walked alone on the path to heaven and kept a seven-year record of his life. The records he kept until he passed away in an unfortunate accident were recently published by his wife, Hye-Beet Jeong, in a book titled “Seven Years with teacher Jeong Myeong-Seok”.
Professor Kim Jong-Jin was introduced to Christian Gospel Mission by a student while earning his doctorate in literature and lecturing at Seongkyunkwan University. He was born into a long line of scholar of the Chinese classics and studied Chinese classics with his great-grandfather. While studying Chinese classics, he became a Christian when he was about to lecture at Jeonju University. He started out to receive a baptismal certificate, but after surviving a near-death experience, he immersed himself in his faith by praying deeply to God. When he was teaching at Sungkyunkwan University, Professor Kim Jong-jin had a conversation with a student to evangelize him/her, and when the student said, “There is someone who has read the Bible 2,000 times,” Professor Kim met Pastor Jeong Myeong-Seok. He read Pastor Jeong’s book of proverbs [Heavenly Words My Words] and was moved as if the proverbs were Solomon’s Proverbs in the Bible. He read the proverb, “Life is not about how deliciously you eat and live, but how righteously you live,” and recalled his childhood of poverty and bitter suffering under his single mother, and made a vow to live a life of righteousness toward God.
The seven-years records that Kim spent as a scholar and disciple of his master, from 1992 to 1999, provide a clear answer to the question of who Jeong Myeong-Seok is. At the beginning of the book, he reveals that he met the True Master in his life, who opened up new spiritual horizons with a complete interpretation of the Bible. He writes that he wants to be a witness to history and writes the truth in his life diary, which he has kept for over 30 years. Unlike the way he is portrayed in the world’s media, Rev. Jeong has been misrepresented as a witch hunt without fact-checking, as the missionary organization claims. What is his real life? In this book, the author introduces many anecdotes viewed at close range from his time with Rev. Jeong Myeong-Seok as his teacher. We would like to introduce a few of them here.
Stone landscape in front of mountain of Wolmyeongdong Natural Temple looks like it’s about to fall at an angle
The Wolmyeongdong Natural Temple of the Christian Gospel Mission is known as a beautiful, magnificent, and mysterious place with a stone landscape weighing tens to hundreds of tons in the midst of nature. Rev. Jeong once said the following when describing the stone landscape in front of the mountain. “The reason why the stones in front of the mountain seem to fall at an angle is because people don’t see from the front. People can’t see people rightly if they look at them with a wrong subjective view. To see people correctly, you must see them with truth. You can tell whether a person is a true person or a false person by throwing the truth at them. No matter how good people are in the world, if they do not accept the righteous truth of heaven, they cannot be called righteous from heaven. This means that it depends on how you look at it.
The Stones Crumbled, But Not My Heart
In the book, the author reveals that Rev. Jeong Myeong-Seok never gave up no matter what hardships or difficulties he faced. A typical example of this is when he completed the stone landscaping of in front of the mountain in Wolmyeongdong. The stones collapsed five times, but Pastor Jeong did not give up. When the stones that they had carefully built collapsed, everyone was heartbroken at first. However, Pastor Jeong comforted his congregation through his Sunday sermon, saying, “If the work was going to collapse in this kind of rain, it was a good thing 10 million times that it collapsed beforehand. If it had collapsed while people were using it, there would have been a risk to many lives, but I can’t help but be grateful that God collapsed it in advance, and that it collapsed at around 2 a.m. when no one was around,” he said, adding that he was rather grateful for the collapsed stone landscape. “The stones fell, but my heart didn’t fall,” said Pastor Jeong Myeong-Seok, ”I should be grateful that God took it down at the moment when no one was around. I will rebuild it,” he told his disciples.
Living at the top is Living right “I’m more of a doer than a talker”…emphasizing practical life
In his morning sermon on January 4, 1994, Rev. Jeong Myeong-Seok emphasized that a believer’s life should be ideal, and his or her hope should be fulfilled accordingly. It is not the hope of going to heaven after death that is important, but living ideally with God in reality at every moment of life so that we can enjoy the ideal in heaven. He taught that living at the top is living right. Also, he taught that salvation lies in restoring humanity, and he taught us to live a practical life of “self-realization” in our daily lives. He was wary of living an overly faith-based life, teaching that if you know something, you must practice it.
A target that stops the west coast tide at Mongsanpo Beach
It was August 15, 1995, at Mongsanpo Beach on the Taean Peninsula, when overseas church members and young adults were playing soccer after a Liberation Day worship service. Mongsanpo Beach, which had been drained to the horizon, was a vast expanse of tidal flats the size of dozens of international soccer fields. The water slowly came in around 4pm and we played volleyball. By 6 p.m., the tide had reached 40 meters in front of the beach and the game had to be stopped. At that point, Pastor Jeong Myeong-Seok raised his hands and said a short prayer. Prof. Kim thought Pastor Jeong was praying for strength and wisdom to win the game, but Pastor Jeong knew that the volleyball court would be covered in water in 10 minutes, so he prayed that the tide would not come any higher. The date of the game was July 19, 1995, which falls on the lunar calendar as Baekjungsari. The water was supposed to reach the shore, but it stopped. A MBC reporter who was out filming the event was able to capture the moment when the tide stopped. Afterward, Pastor Jeong said, “God works dramatic history in dramatic situations. I prayed to God to stop the tide because I would do my best and win a dramatic victory in a situation where the water was about to come in and the game had to go on,” he said. It made us realize that God’s dramatic works also happen when we create dramatic conditions.
Rev. Jeong Myeong-Seok is a patriot who loves his country more than anyone else.
Whenever Korea faced great tribulations and difficulties, he prayed. In June 1994, when there was talk of war over North Korea’s nuclear program, he held a national prayer meeting with his disciples. At the time, Rev. Jeong said, “War is up to God. We should leave everything to God and live in gratitude,” he said, leading the prayer meeting. Chairman Mo, who also participated in the prayer meeting, said, “I thought that Korea was doing well because of the return of the national fortune, but I realized that it was because there were young people who prayed for the country.” “The deceased Professor Kim Jong-jin passed away after leaving behind seven years of records, but the life of God’s minister, Rev. Jeong Myeong-Seok, is still being watched and recorded by many disciples,” said a missionary official.
By Hong Seong-pil
