Marc Hunter was the lead singer of Dragon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_(band)), one of the most popular New Zealand/Australian bands of the late 1970s and 1980s. First, a few of his songs. These were huge hits upon their release, and are still I'm sure played often in New Zealand and Australia and elsewhere. Incidentally, some of the lyrics of his songs take on some new significance given awareness of what he encountered in Korea and why he went there.
And featuring virtuoso guitarist Tommy Emmanuel just before he started his successful solo career - guitar solo from 2:28:
Tommy today - well early 2026:
I once looked at this Beatles medley arrangement of Day Tripper and Lady Madonna and quickly gave up:
In 1997, Marc was diagnosed with advanced throat cancer.
The Life of Marc Hunter (https://www.sergent.com.au/music/marchunter.html) (Bruce Sergent)
The key sentence:
QuoteWith his treatment not going very well, Marc and Wendy, flew out to Daerachun, South Korea, to try one last shot at a cure. After a few weeks, Marc returned to Sydney, where he sadly passed away on July 17th 1998.
From 1:51, a glimpse of those "treatments" in Korea:
A more detailed account:
March 30, 2011: The Reason I'm donating to Kevin Marshall's Charity (https://web.archive.org/web/20110402014807/http://blog.timesunion.com/chuckmiller/marc-hunter/7180/) (Chuck Miller/Internet Archive)
QuoteBut if there was one person who left us too soon, one person who was a personal inspiration, I would have to mention the name Marc Hunter. ...
In November of 1997, just before commencing a 40-date Australia-New Zealand Dragon concert tour, Marc felt something odd in his throat. One doctor told Marc he probably had tonsilitis and sent the singer home. Unsatisfied with this diagnosis, Marc visited a throat specialist.
"The doctor felt around my throat," said Marc to reporter Pamela Lesmond, "and said, 'You have a large cancer.' I sort of didn't hear anything for a minute. I was stunned. I just sat there.'
The diagnosis – malignant throat cancer, possibly caused from 25 years of tar and nicotine, singing and performing in hazy clubs and bars, a lethal mixture of first-hand tar and second-hand nicotine. The doctors gave Marc his options – chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumor, the possibility that he might never sing again, and the worst case scenario – a life expectancy of only six months.
"I've thought, 'Everybody dies and I am going to die sooner or later,'" said Marc. "It's pointless wondering things like, 'Why me?' because you could equally wonder, 'Why not?' I've had a niggling fear that all those years smoking cigarettes were coming home to roost. I am a very positive person. I am not trying to downplay the seriousness of it, but many people have had worse things happen to them."
Within days, news of Marc's throat cancer sent a shockwave through an Australian music industry that had just rebounded from INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence's suicide. Quickly, various performers and bands gathered for a Dragon tribute concert, the profits from which would help defray Marc's medical bills and provide for his two children.
Then came the finale. "April Sun In Cuba," one of Dragon's biggest hits, as performed by John Farnham and his band, with Marc's brother Todd Hunter (the bassist in Dragon) sitting in on bass. As Farnham was singing and the crowd remembering lyrics about being tired of the city life and snake eyes on a pair of dice, Marc Hunter walked onstage and grabbed a microphone.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"People were standing up and yelling and cheering and crying," said Todd Hunter, "it was incredible. Marc sang, maybe for the last time, that song. These musicians' incredible generosity was so phenomenal. There was a time when Marc thought nobody cared about his music. But he was amazed by what all these guys were doing, and it got to him in an incredible way."
But Marc's throat cancer continued. He needed the strength to undergo another operation, before the cancerous cells spread to his his brain and to his lungs. But his energy was low from previous surgeries and chemotherapy. Three weeks after the Melbourne concert, Hunter and his wife flew to Daera Chun, South Korea for one last option – an ancient healing process called Qi, which was a blend of meditation, diet and chun su massages.
Back in Australia, Marc Hunter's situation spurred more fundraisers. A second benefit concert, this time in Sydney, featured another Who's Who of Australian musical talent, past and present. Men At Work regrouped for the first time in a decade to perform at the concert. Members of InXs performed for the first time since the death of Michael Hutchence. Midnight Oil's Peter Garrett and Cold Chisel's Jimmy Barnes duetted on Dragon hits "Dreams of Ordinary Men" and "Speak No Evil."
"I have thought a lot about the possibility of dying," said Marc at the time to the newsmagazine New Idea. "Now, I believe it doesn't really matter when or where you die, but how you live your life. If somebody diagnoses you with cancer and tells you they are going to cut open your jaw and take out a tumor, you would panic unless you had something to sustain you. But my time with the Qi masters gave me a tap on the shoulder and reminded me we are spiritual beings."
Marc Hunter passed away in his sleep on July 17, 1998. After his treatments at Daera Chun and the throat operation in Sydney, he spent the remaining months of his life in the company of his wife, children, family and close friends. He was only 44 years old.
If I had to pick someone in whose memory and in whose honor I would donate for cancer research, it would be Marc Hunter.
Marc Hunter's final performance:
Two years later, those who provided those treatments at Daerachun made international headlines, but not for curing cancer:
Jan. 25, 2000: South Korea Arrests Doomsday Cult Leader (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/617962.stm) (BBC)
QuoteProsecutors in South Korea have arrested the leader of a doomsday cult, who's alleged to have swindled nearly ninety-million dollars from his followers by promising them eternal life.
I feel that sentence about the promise of eternal life could give the wrong impression of those who encounterred and trusted the group. Some were not indoctrinated to believe eternal life were possible. Some, and Mark is not alone, simply wanted to live a normal life when modern Western medicine could not provide the false hope peddled elsewhere.
July 9, 2000: 15-Year Jail Term Sought for Doomsday Cult Leader (https://web.archive.org/web/20080709090651/http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/55a/352.html) (The Korea Times/Internet Archive)
QuoteThe fraud case especially shocked the nation as many of the followers who had been the target of frauds had professional jobs. Many of them were driven into rupture for their involvement in the cult, losing jobs, getting divorced and attempting suicide. ...
Mo and his wife have been enjoying a luxurious life both at home and broad while committing several real estate-related frauds in some South Pacific islands.
July 10, 2000: Korean Doomsday Cult Members Suspected in $134 Mln Fraud Case (https://apologeticsindex.org/news/an200711.html#29) (AOL/Bloomberg/Partial Text Archived at Apologetics Index)
Full text:
QuoteKorean prosecutors arrested 42 members of a doomsday cult, including leader Mo Haeng Ryong and his wife Park Kui Dal, on allegations they may have stolen as much as 150 billion won ($134 million) in the nation's biggest fraud case involving a religious group.
Prosecutors are looking for an additional 113 members of the cult known as Chonjonhoe, established in 1985 by Mo and his wife, who gathered disciples after deifying themselves. The cult, which spread messages saying the end of the world will come this year, had about 1,500 followers, including lawyers, businessmen and government officials.
Prosecutors said the cult swindled funds over the last 10 years from at least 5,000 financial institutions nationwide under their followers' names. Mo also set up about 10 companies and spent 15 billion won building a religious complex in the eastern part of Korea, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors have asked the government to cancel Chonjonhoe's registration and are investigating whether Mo and his wife may have stashed away more funds. Prosecutors are seeking a 15-year jail term for the couple, the maximum penalty allowed.
This next article names the cult's headquarter temple: Daerachun, the place named in the above pieces about Marc Hunter's final months:
July 11, 2000: Korean Doomsday Cult Sentenced (https://www.cesnur.org/testi/Y2K_006.htm) (Associated Press/Archived at CESNUR)
QuoteA South Korean court sentenced two leaders of a doomsday cult to 10 years in prison each Tuesday on charges of swindling followers out of millions of dollars. ...
The cult was established in 1985 by Mo and his wife, who claimed they were given an order from heaven to build a holy shrine, called Daerachun, or big spiritual heaven, at Hongchun. The cult claims 150,000 members
July 12, 2000: Doomsday Cult Leaders Get Prison in Fraud (https://www.chicagotribune.com/2000/07/12/doomsday-cult-leaders-get-prison-in-fraud/) (Chicago Tribune - Paywall)
(http://peterdaley.net//images/strangerthings/ki/tenyears.jpg)
Sept. 9, 2000: Prosecutors Arrest Cult Leaders (https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2000/07/09/W3R4NS5PTOOD5GTAHI6SVWT3LM/) (The Chosun Daily)
QuoteProsecutors announced Sunday that they have arrested forty-two members of a doomsday cult called Cheonjonhoe, including its highly deified husband and wife leadership. They said that the group is suspected of at least W38 billion worth of loan frauds, noting also that this could be a new record high for Korean religious scandals. Prosecutors are looking for an additional 113 members of the organization, and say they eventually expect to find somewhere around W100 billion in additional fraud maneuvered through 2,432 loans from some 5,000 banks nationwide.
And my favorite sentence:
QuoteOnce arrested, however, the couple announced through their lawyer, now also under arrest, that the end of the world had been delayed ten years.
25 years later, a reference to this group losing its religious license as there is talk of a similar action being taken against The Unification Church and Shincheonji:
Jan. 15, 2026: Unification Church, Shincheonji Face Probe Over Possible Disbandment (https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/society/20260115/unification-church-shincheonji-face-probe-over-possible-disbandment) (The Korea Herald)
QuoteThe government may revoke the registration of an incorporated religious group if it operates beyond its stated purpose, violates its establishment terms or harms the public interest. Such a revocation would strip the group of its legal protections and tax benefits, though it could continue to carry out religious activities as a voluntary association.
In 1976, the registration of the Christian sect Dongbang was revoked amid allegations that its members had assaulted and extorted money from underperforming followers. A similar measure was taken in 2001, when a doomsday cult founded by a married couple lost its corporate registration due to loan fraud, which defrauded around 1,500 people.
Next we follow the career of Master Oh. His lawyers recently in response to the December 2025 Dutch investigation linked below admitted that Master Oh was a student of the convicted criminals, and made the point that he has not been accused of nor convicted of a crime. He also, which isn't a crime, regularly visits Daeracheon. Nevertheless, he and the charities he was/is involved with, which have a habit of changing names quite frequently, make for interesting reading that share some similarities to the reasons his mentors went to jail.
Aug. 7, 2008: London Met Officers Praise "Energy Monks" (https://barthsnotes.com/2008/08/07/london-met-officers-praise-energy-monks/) (Bartholomew's Notes)
One omission from the above is the one police officer who identified himself by name in one of the videos: Commander Simon Foy (https://www.lbt.global/simon-foy):
QuoteHaving joined the Metropolitan Police Service in 1982, Simon was promoted to Commander in 2003 after 20 years working on murder and child abuse cases, and in some of the most challenging environments.
From 2007 to 2012 he was the head of the Metropolitan Police Homicide and Serious Crime Command, dealing with the investigation of murder and serious crime in both London and (where called on) around the world. In 2009 he became the head of the new specialist crime teams dealing with the investigation of rape, and also the teams dealing with child abuse and paedophile activity.
He was the national lead for the role of family liaison officers, Deputy Chair of the ACPO Homicide Working Group, and Chair of the Europol Homicide Working Group. Simon was a key figure in the creation of the National Homicide Service. He was awarded the Queens Police Medal in the Birthday Honours list of 2009
Sept. 6, 2008: Alternative Health Centre Accused of 'Brainwashing' (https://web.archive.org/web/20080907051011/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2695637/Alternative-health-centre-accused-of-brainwashing.html) (The Telegrah/Internet Archive for Easier Reading)
QuoteFormer clients of Ki Health International told The Sunday Telegraph that many of the treatments were effective but they felt pressure to pay large sums of money for "ancestral healing" — at £1,000 per course — to get rid of "negative energy" from their forebears, and to make extra donations. ...
The charity said that it had no "financial or managerial connection" with the organisation in Korea but confirmed that Park Gui-dal visited the centre in August last year, at Ki Health's invitation, and talked to clients.
Note: Park Gui-dal was I believe released six years into her original 10 year sentence, and gained control of the group. She was released before her husband who disappeared from the scene, perhaps starting his own group that has not gained any attention. As a convicted felon who served a significant time in jail, she should have been unable to enter the UK. False passport, or just a lack of information sharing between Korea and the UK at the time?
Aug 12. 2012: Master Oh, Harley Street Guru Who Treats Cancer Patients with Belching (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2193553/Master-Oh-Harley-Street-guru-treats-cancer-patients-BELCHING.html) (David Harrelson for The Daily Mail)
QuoteA clinic run by a controversial guru who has treated BBC stars has refunded thousands to a terminal cancer patient who thought she could be healed without chemotherapy. Celebrity clients have included BBC sports presenters Gabby Logan and Clare Balding and actress Rula Lenska.
Miss Mohamed was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 at the age of 25, but stopped NHS treatment in January 2011. She said: 'I came away from Innersound thinking chemotherapy would not benefit me and I shouldn't have it. 'Master Oh was gentle, knowledgeable and spiritual and Innersound has a reputation as a respectable organisation.' Miss Mohamed paid the clinic £16,000 for a series of Oriental 'energy' therapies, including meditation and chanting.
Although she said that she felt some initial improvement, in March this year doctors told her she had just two to three years to live. Miss Mohamed, from North London, instructed lawyers to reclaim the money she spent on treatment and was paid £12,000 by the clinic on 'compassionate grounds' – but with no admission of liability.
Miss Mohamed, who is now seeking to raise money for specialist treatment in the US, said: 'As a professional soldier, I would never consider myself to be gullible. The masters are very reassuring; promising to help you at a time when you are looking for anything that will make you better.'
Nov. 19, 2012: Heartbroken Friends Say Goodbye to Tragic Soldier (https://web.archive.org/web/20170126090919/http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/10056153.Heartbroken_friends_say_goodbye_to_tragic_soldier) (Bournemouth Echo/Internet Archive)
QuoteImam Majid Yasin said a prayer in Arabic before Military Padre Gary Keith spoke as Naima's family, including brother Rachid and parents Ben and Saida, looked on. He said: "As we gather in this place today we do so to honour the life of a courageous and committed, very determined young army officer, Captain Naima Houder Mohamed. "We do so to give thanks for her full and her active life, to commend her to God's safe keeping."
He said Naima was "greatly loved, admired and respected" and was a "cherished and much valued member of the family home, of her community and of the British Army". Naima graduated from Sandhurst in 2009 and then served with 22 Engineer Regiment and 1 Royal Anglian.
Regimental Colonel Rob Davie said Naima became a qualified mountain leader in 2006, gaining advanced status in 2009. She ran expeditions in Kenya, Morocco and France. She undertook Nordic skiing and biathlon and did training exercises in Scotland and Poland. Naima had been set to go to Afghanistan but her illness prevented her from doing so.
Col Davie said: "Naima gathered a wealth of experience as an army officer during her relatively short career. "She readily sought out new challenges and tackled them with enthusiasm and a steely determination to succeed.
Jan. 23, 2013: Family of Deceased British Army Officer Calls for Investigation of "Cult" (https://cultnews.com/2013/01/family-of-deceased-british-army-officer-calls-for-investigation-of-cult/) (Cult News)
QuoteNaima's grandfather Thomas Philips, a British man who was in the Navy said "I too would like to see an investigation. Naima kept taking me to the clinic, convinced their massages would cure my arthritis and heart trouble. They encourage clients to bring relatives for treatments. It wasn't magical or miraculous, just expensive massage, and Naima was very struck with them. I suppose she was brainwashed, but it was hard to reach that conclusion there as the masters all seemed so genuine and kind. Naima kept saying 'they are taking the badness out of me granddad, and you have to believe it.'" Mr Philips says Innersound were 'bleeding Naima dry' and she often asked him for loans to pay for her treatments.
Jan. 21, 2018: Girl About Town (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5293359/Photographer-Mario-Testino-axed-Annabels-revamp.html) (The Daily Telegraph)
QuoteMeaningless noise emanating from Liam Gallagher's mouth? Who ever would have thought it! The former Oasis frontman has been attending Korean 'Qi energy' chanting classes at the Jung Shim centre in Marylebone, London. The 40-minute sessions involve 'repeating vibrational sounds that have no translatable meaning' but 'declutter the mind'. Perhaps his classes led to Liam, 45, recently ending the long-term feud with brother Noel, 50.
Twelve years later, the most comprehensive reporting on this group and its history. It's in Dutch - turn on English subtitles, unless you're Dutch! This stemmed from Dutch actor Jasper Demollin suddenly quitting his job, selling his home, and declaring he was devoting his life to a Korean guru. Not surprisingly, that concerned friends and family, and then award-winning Dutch investigative team Boos started to do what they have received awards for:
Dec. 3, 2025 Master Oh & Jasper Demollin: Korean Cult Uses Celebrities (Boos Media (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOOS))