South Korean Sect Leader Jung Myung-seok Receives Additional 33-Year Prison Sentence
Jesus Morning Star leader Jung Myung-seok sentenced to 33 years for sexual assault of followers. The 81-year-old faces further time behind bars in Korea.
POLICY WIRE — Seoul, South Korea — The leader of the Jesus Morning Star religious sect, Jung Myung-seok, was handed an additional 33-year prison sentence on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, following a conviction for the sexual assault and abuse of female followers.
Jung, who is believed to be in his early 80s, is currently serving a 17-year term for previous sexual assault convictions. Those earlier crimes occurred following his release from prison after a 2008 rape conviction.
In this latest legal proceeding, the Daejeon District Court found the sect leader guilty of sexually assaulting and abusing 16 female followers over a period ending in 2022. The court official confirmed that the new 33-year term will be served consecutively to his existing sentence.
The case gained significant public attention after Jung was featured in the Netflix documentary series, In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal, which examined allegations against four South Korean religious leaders. Alongside the prison term, the court imposed additional penalties, including a 10-year requirement for personal information disclosure, a 10-year employment ban at child and adolescent-related institutions, and the mandatory use of an electronic tracking device.
A separate official associated with the sect was also sentenced to seven years in prison for their role in abetting the crimes. Representatives at the sect’s mission office in South Chungcheong province did not provide an immediate statement regarding whether the ruling would be appealed.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
