Evangelical Baptist Church
Hangul
기독교복음침례회
Hanja
基督教福音浸禮會
Revised RomanizationGidokgyo Bokeum Chimnyehoe
McCune–ReischauerKidokgyo Pokŭm Ch'imnyehoe
Former name: Korean Evangelical Layman's Church
Hangul
한국평신도복음선교회
Hanja
韓國平信徒福音宣敎會
Revised RomanizationHanguk Pyeongsindo Bokeum Son-gyohoe
McCune–ReischauerHanguk P'yŏngsindo Pokŭm Son'gyohoe
Colloquial name: "Salvation Sect"
Hangul
구원파
Hanja
救援派
Revised RomanizationGuwonpa
McCune–ReischauerKuwŏnp'a

The Evangelical Baptist Church (EBC) of Korea[1][2][3][4] (Korean: 기독교복음침례회; officially Korean Evangelical Baptist Church[5] – formerly known as Korean Laymen's Evangelical Fellowship), was established in 1962 by Yoo Byung-eun and Pastor Kwon Shin-chan (권신찬; 1923–96).[6] The name of the church was changed to EBC in 1981.[7] It is not connected to the Korea Baptist Convention.[8][9] In South Korea, EBC is commonly known as Guwonpa, meaning Salvation Sect,[10] from the Korean term guwon (구원), "salvation".[11]

Many sources estimate that the movement has 20,000 members, but media reports on numbers of followers vary from 10,000 to as many as 200,000 members worldwide.[12][13][14] In 2014, the organization claimed to have 100,000 followers.[15][16]

Media outlets claimed that the EBC doctrines teach that those who were once saved by God are completely detached from the sins they will ever commit in the future and guaranteed a path to heaven.[11] The EBC denied having any such doctrine.[7][17] Although the conservative General Assembly of Presbyterian Churches called the movement a cult,[12] in 1992, there was later a correction statement saying that the EBC preaches doctrines that are consistent with Christianity and does not contradict the Bible. Nor do they worship a particular individual as a religious sect leader.[17]

Odaeyang mass suicide

In 1987 South Korean police were investigating accusations against a 48-year-old woman, Park Soon-ja, saying that she had swindled ₩8.9 billion (US$8.7 million) from about 220 people.[18][19] Her company Odaeyang Trading Co. was a firm that fronted for a religious sect led by Park, which was a splinter group from Yoo Byung-eun's Evangelical Baptist Church.[20] On 29 August, thirty-two members of the sect who believed in doomsday, including Park Soon-ja and her three children, were found dead, bound and gagged.[21][22] The case became known as the Odaeyang mass suicide. Police assumed the event was a murder–suicide pact, and the prosecution initially suspected that Yoo Byung-eun was linked to the case;[23][13] but he was never charged, and the police closed the case as a mass suicide.[24][25][26][27] There were claims that Park Soon-ja, the head of Odaeyang Church gave a large amount of money to the EBC members, and that the money flowed back to Semo. However, it was later found that this was a transaction between an EBC member and Park Soon-Ja before Odeyang was established,[28] in 1992, Yoo Byung-eun was convicted of "habitual fraud under the mask of religion" for his alleged role in colluding with one of his employees to collect donations from church members in the amount of ₩1.2 billion (US$1.15 million) and invest them in his businesses. He served a 4-year prison term.[29][30][31][32][33][34] In November 2014, the Incheon District Prosecutor's Office stated in a report that they did not find a prosecutable connection between Yoo's Evangelical Baptist Church and the Odaeyang incident.[35][36]

Sinking of Sewol

The ferry Sewol capsized and sank on 16 April 2014, resulting in 304 people dead or missing,[37][38] the second worst ferry disaster in South Korean history.[39][40] Sewol was operated by the company Chonghaejin Marine, for which Yoo Byung-eun was former chairman.[41] Despite initial media reports, Yoo retired from Chonghaejin Marine Ltd in 1997, and thus, had not been involved in this company’s operations since his retirement.[42]

Yoo Byung-eun is known to mainly reside in a rural church compound called "Geumsuwon" (금수원) located east of Anseong in the Gyeonggi Province some 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of Seoul.[43] Yoo has a photography workshop there, and according to his publicist Michael Ham, managing director of Ahae Press and co-director of Evangelical Media Group, Beginning in 2009, Yoo began obsessively focusing on his photography work, spending every day completely dedicated to his photography for more than four years—allegedly taking about 2.7 million photographs during this time, all through one window.[44][45][46] Members of the group run the 760,000 square metres (8,200,000 sq ft) compound Geumsuwon as a commune where they grow organic produce and run a freshwater fish farm.[6][47]

On 23 April, investigators of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office raided the head office of Chonghaejin Marine, and some 20 offices of its affiliates, as well as the office of the Evangelical Baptist Church in Yongsan, central Seoul. Prosecutors initially suspected that funds from members of the religious group had been used in business operations of Chonghaejin Marine and Yoo Byung-eun.[13][48] However, this suspicion turned out to be incorrect. Yoo Byung-eun did not embezzle from the EBC nor did he expand his businesses by its members' donations.[49]

On 24 April, a financier of the Evangelical Baptist Church was summoned for questioning to trace deals between the group and companies run by Yoo and his two sons.[12][50] Transcripts of land registers showed that four days later on 28 and 29 April, Yoo and his family signed over some 24 properties worth around ₩27 billion (~US$26 million) to the Evangelical Baptist Church.[51] It was later found that reports of his wealth incorrectly included real estate properties owned by farming associations, which had been established by church members.[49]

On 28 April 600 members of the Evangelical Baptist Church staged a protest rally in front of the headquarters of the Korea Broadcasting System in Yeouido, Seoul against media coverage of, and the investigation into the group's links to the operator of the ferry Sewol, denying suspicions that the Evangelical Baptist Church had cross-border transactions with affiliates of the ferry operator.[52]

Prosecutors warned on 24 May, that anyone who helps Yoo in hiding faces up to three years in prison.[53] Four members of the EBC were arrested 25 May for assisting Yoo to escape detection by the police.[16][54] On 26 May, EBC, in an apparent move to confuse investigators, said that Yoo might have returned early in the morning to Geumsuwon. A spokesperson for the church later announced that Yoo had not returned, further saying, "We hope Yoo doesn't get arrested. A 100,000 members will protect Yoo. Even if the entire congregation of 100,000 believers is arrested, we won't hand him over."[16][15] Lee Jae-ok, one of Yoo's close aides, was arrested on 26 May on charges of planning Yoo's life as a fugitive and helping him evade detection for weeks.[11][55]

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ Chance, David (24 April 2014). "From God.com to photography, Korea ferry founder has diverse interests". Reuters. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
    2. ↑ Gordts, Eline (23 April 2014). "Prosecutors Raid Home Of South Korean Ferry Owner". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
    3. ↑ "S. Korea ferry owner seeks asylum: report". The West Australian. Yahoo! News. Agence France-Presse. 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
    4. ↑ "Ugly blame game". The Korea Times. 19 May 2014. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
    5. ↑ "Amex-Organization Report". GuideStar. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
    6. 1 2 Park, Ju-min (21 May 2014). "South Korean sect submits to search for founder linked to doomed ferry". Reuters. Archived from the original on 9 June 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
    7. 1 2 "구원파는 무엇을 믿는가 : 일반 조직신학 교리와 구원파의 교리 비교". 구원파에 대한 오해와 진실 (in Korean). 29 August 2014. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
    8. ↑ Paek, Sang-hyun (25 April 2014). "Salvation Sect is Unrelated to Korean Church; Yu is Fraudulent Peddler of Unknown Religion". The Kukmin Daily. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
    9. ↑ "K-pop heavyweight Park Jin-young denies preaching for religious cult". The Korea Times. 3 May 2018. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
    10. ↑ Park, Sang-hyun; Yeara, Ahn-park (3 May 2014). "It is not true that the Sewol's captain is unrelated to the Salvation Sect". The Kukmin Daily. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
    11. 1 2 3 Ko, Dong-hwan (24 April 2014). "Infidel Sewol captain and sailors devout Guwon faithfuls". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
    12. 1 2 3 Kang, Hyun-kyung (26 April 2014). "'Salvation sect' suspected of backing Yoo's business". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
    13. 1 2 3 "Prosecution looks into cult in ferry accident probe". English.yonhapnews.co.kr. Yonhap. 24 April 2014. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
    14. ↑ Hong, Gil-dong (24 April 2014). "Cult linked to ferry mogul probed". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 22 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
    15. 1 2 Moon, Kim-bong (27 May 2014). "Sect announces it will not let Yoo be arrested". Korea JoongAng Daily. Koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
    16. 1 2 3 Kim, Da-ye (26 May 2014). "Search for Yoo continues after raids". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
    17. 1 2 "Investigators Confirm Ownership of Ferry Operator". english.chosun.com. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
    18. ↑ "33 Bodies Found in Attic After Apparent Murder-Suicide Pact". Apnewsarchive.com. 29 August 1987. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
    19. ↑ Asiaweek. Asiaweek Limited. September 1987. ...when thirteen employees of Park's Odaeyang Trading Co. were arrested for assaulting three creditors who demanded repayment of more than $600,000. When police brought Park in for questioning about $13.7 million in unpaid loans, she fell ill and was taken to hospital.
    20. ↑ Foster-Carter, Aidan (22 May 2014). "The many masks of Yoo Byung-eun". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
    21. ↑ "32 People Found Dead in South Korean Plant – New York Times". The New York Times. South Korea; Yongin (South Korea). Associated Press. 30 August 1987. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
    22. ↑ Korea Annual. Hapdong News Agency. 1988. p. 53. The body of Park Sun-ja, head of Odaeyang Trading Co. and 32 other bodies were found by her husband, Lee Ki-jong, 53, on the ceiling ... brainwashed by the self-imposed woman cult leader, were persuaded to commit suicide by voluntarily taking toxicant before she took her own life.
    23. ↑ Hong, Gil-dong (21 May 2014). "Ferry owner's hideout raided". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 21 June 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
    24. ↑ Jun, Kwanwoo (28 April 2014). "Patriarch of Family That Controls Ferry Operator Ends Silence". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
    25. ↑ "Authorities search ferry owner's offices as probe widens in South Korea". KWGN – CNN. 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 19 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
    26. ↑ 오대양사건, 유병언 세모 회장과 어떤 관계?...檢 유병언 일가 집중 수사 [The Odaeyang Incident, What does it have to do with Yoo, the former president of Semo Co.? ... The Prosecutors are investigating]. Seoul News (in Korean). 24 April 2014. Archived from the original on 20 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
    27. ↑ Kim, Da-ye (21 May 2014). "Yoo family gets away". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
    28. ↑ "[오대양] 오대양의 자금이 구원파를 거쳐 세모 측으로 유입되었다?". 구원파에 대한 오해와 진실 (in Korean). 4 March 2016. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
    29. ↑ Seo, Ji-eun (26 May 2014). "Sects, money and tragedy have history in Korea". Korea JoongAng Daily. Koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
    30. ↑ Kim, Hyng-jin (23 May 2014). "Reward Offered for Missing South Korea Ferry Owner". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
    31. ↑ "Watchdog widens probe in all affiliates of Sewol operator". English.yonhapnews.co.kr. Yonhap. 25 April 2014. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
    32. ↑ "Sunken Ferry Owner's Malpractice: Chonghaejin Marine Company under Suspicion of Offshore Tax Evasion". BusinessKorea. 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
    33. ↑ Kim, Mi-young; Jin, Hyun-joo (22 April 2014). "Company that owned ill-fated South Korea ferry has chequered past". Reuters. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
    34. ↑ Asiaweek. 27-51. Vol. 17. Asiaweek Limited. 1991. ARRESTED: Yoo Byung Eun, 50, leader of a South Korean religious sect and president of Semo, a trading company; on fraud charges; in Taejon Aug. 1. Known as "Jesus" to members of the Evangelical Baptist Church, also called the Kuwonpa (Salvation) sect, Yoo is accused of swindling $1.5 million from 34 people between 1982 and 1986. Last month ten sect members confessed they had killed three colleagues whom police had wanted in connection with the deaths of 32 people.
    35. ↑ "구원파 및 유병언 회장 관련 정정 및 반론보도". News1 Korea. 3 November 2014. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
    36. ↑ "[정정보도문] 구원파 및 유병언 회장, 오대양 사건과 무관". Sports dongA. 30 October 2014. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
    37. ↑ Park, Ju-min (16 April 2014). "More than 300 people missing after South Korea ferry sinks – coast guard". Reuters. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
    38. ↑ Withnall, Adam (26 May 2014). "South Korea ferry disaster: Civilian divers scouring the Sewol wreckage are being 'paid by the body', presidential office suggests". The Independent. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
    39. ↑ Hong, Gil-dong (18 April 2014). "Major disasters in Korea". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 12 June 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
    40. ↑ "Over 280 missing after South Korean ferry capsizes". Reuters. 16 April 2014. Archived from the original on 5 June 2014.
    41. ↑ Kim, Jung-yoon (19 April 2014). "Offices of Sewol owner searched". Korea JoongAng Daily. Koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
    42. ↑ Herald, Korea (27 July 2014). "Yoo's son denies embezzlement". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
    43. ↑ "Yonhapnews World Service : English News". Engsales.yonhapnews.co.kr. Yonhap. 22 May 2006. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
    44. ↑ "Korean photographer AHAE and Ahae Press express profound sadness to Sewol ferry victims and condolences to the families of those lost and injured" (Press release). New York: Ahae Press, Inc. PR Newswire. 25 April 2014. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
    45. ↑ Hasquenoph, Bernard (29 August 2013). "Ahae à Versailles, le privilège de l'argent" [Ahae at Versailles — the privilege of money] (in French). louvrepourtous.fr. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
    46. ↑ Kim, Da-ye (29 April 2014). "Yoo tries to protect reputation as photographer". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
    47. ↑ Lee, Hyo-sik (22 May 2014). "Arrest warrant issued for Yoo". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
    48. ↑ "Prosecution raided sunken ferry operator, affiliates". English.yonhapnews.co.kr. Yonhap. 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
    49. 1 2 "Ferry Owner Signed Property Over to Cult". english.chosun.com. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
    50. ↑ "Sewol Owner Yoo rudely uses ambassadors to show off his'popularity' :: 영문 경제 외교 종합 매체 코리아포스트 미디어". Korea Post. Koreapost.com. 28 May 2014. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
    51. ↑ "Ferry Owner Signed Property Over to Cult". The Chosun Ilbo. English.chosun.com. 22 May 2014. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
    52. ↑ Kang, Seung-woo (28 April 2014). "Salvation sect stages protest rally". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
    53. ↑ Park, Eun-jee (24 May 2014). "Prosecutors warn anyone who helps Yoo escape". Korea JoongAng Daily. Koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
    54. ↑ "Fugitive Sewol-ho ferry owner spotted in southern Korea". Arirang News. 26 May 2012. Archived from the original on 1 June 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
    55. ↑ "Manhunt for fugitive ferry owner closing in: prosecution". English.yonhapnews.co.kr. Yonhap. 27 May 2014. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
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