Controversial Rally Backlashing Against President Moon Jae-In Invoking God, Patriotism, and family Values

USA - English

• USA - English

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In the Month of October historical rallies with huge crowds gathered at the Cheongwadae government square in Seoul, South Korea demanding the resignation of President Moon. Chairman of Christian Counsel of Korea, Pastor Jung Kwang-hoon from Presbyterian, Sarang Jeil church was on the front line, calling for the resignation of President Moon as, "an order from the Lord." Mr. Jung was able to rouse the crowds, which was composed mostly of older Christians, by constantly repeating incendiary comments and making accusations of "President Moon being a North Korean Spy and bring the Republic of Korea to ruins."

"His rallies could be off-putting to non-Christians because they look like church revival meetings, and some of his remarks, like his claim that Moon being a North Korean spy, sound over-the-top and propagandistic. But the thing is, his strategy works, making him a force that cannot be ignored." said Hwang Gui-hag, editor in chief of the Seoul-based Law Times, which specializes in church law and news.

Mr. Jung said he was strongly influenced and schooled with the idea that the church could serve as an instrument for social and political change; and throughout history, churches always being a part of the political organization. South Korea's churches have a history of political activism and progressive pastors and priests campaigned against the military dictators who ruled the country in past decades. Conservative pastors equate religious faith with anti-communist patriotism; and many of the mega churches in Seoul were founded by evangelical Christians who fled communist persecution in North Korea before the Korean War.

Now the chances of President Moon resigning are nil but, in the past months, Mr. Jung had brewed a political firestorm by exploiting two powerful sentiments; a fear of North Korea that is prevalent among older South Koreans, and a growing discontent over an ailing domestic economy. Now there has been cases of Mr. Jung using religion for his own political agenda although the constitution of the Republic of Korea mandates the separation of church and state.

In 2018 Mr. Jung had insisted his congregation to vote a particular candidate through sermons and text messages and was sentenced to prison for violation of election laws. He is currently blacklisted and is unable to leave the country on six charges of crimes including instigating sedition, violation of the nation election regulations, forming an anti-national organization, and organizing a crime group among others. Some ultra-right figures seems to be going too far in their bashing of President Moon Jae-in, with some even urging followers to kill President Moon. Which lead the Democratic party asking the police to investigate Mr. Jung on charges of inciting sedition after he exhorted followers to join a band of "Martyrs" who would invade the presidential Blue House to overthrow President Moon.

In January of 2019, Mr. Jung was elected head of the Christian Council of Korea, CCK, an umbrella group for the conservative churches. But when he held a news conference in June, demanding President Moon's resignation, along with all the controversial statements being made by Mr. Jung during his rallies, rival pastors called him "a son of vipers"; and the National Council of Churches in Korea denounced him for leading his followers into, "Mass Hysteria through his lies and fake statistic."

And now, the most recent hysteria he brought within the Christian community was during the October 22nd rally at Cheongwadae with his blasphemes words claiming, "I have a tight grip on God's throne! God don't you dare move! God, if you mess with me, I will kill you!, This is how close I am to God, and the Republic of Korea will be revolving around Jung Kwang-hoon for the next 10 years". All of this he claims, "Is the work of the Holy Spirit. It's not me, but people's anger against Moon that brought them to the rallies."
(All attribution and source are provided to the following links below)

Anchor Links:
New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/08/world/asia/jun-kwang-hoon-pastor-.html
News SBS. Co. Korea:
https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/endPage.do?news_id=N1005561904&plink=INTEREST&cooper=SBSNEWSMAIN
(English Translation)
https://www.tellerreport.com/tech/2019-12-12---pastor-kwang-hoon-jeon-11-hours-survey%E2%80%A6--tangled-ears---ashurajang--.BkeX2YBxAr.html
Korean Times:
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/http://www.nation/2019/08/356_274055.html
Video Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaeiYPS1ScY

SOURCE Shincheonji