May 11, 2014: Ewha Christian Student Union Holds Counter-Heresy lecture (https://evoice.ewha.ac.kr/news/articlePrint.html?idxno=3930) (Ewha Voice)
QuoteThe lecture explained how shincheonji members persuade university students to join the religion. Recruitment of students through surveys, mentoring programs or psychological tests were given as examples.
Based on the accounts of the victims of shincheonji, the lecture explained the social problems that it has caused. Baek remarked that its structured and personalized education curriculum makes it difficult for victims to leave it. In fact, students have been even encouraged to donate large sums of money, drop out of school or leave their homes to support their movement.
2017: Cults in South Korea - How I Almost Joined a Cult in South Korea (https://www.herotraveler.com/thevoyagingteacher/story/cults-in-south-korea) (Hero Traveler)
April 1, 2019: The Dangers of the Religious Cults in Korea (https://evoice.ewha.ac.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=5762) (Ewha Voice)
Oct. 31, 2021: Have you Ever Been Approached by a Cult? (https://annals.yonsei.ac.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=10534) (Yonsei Annals)
QuoteASK ANY international student, and chances are that they have been approached by cults—multiple times. Whether it be in front of language Institutes, in the middle of the street, or even in front of Yonsei University's own gates, students constantly have to evade unwanted interactions with strangers. While most just regard these encounters as annoying, such interactions expose students to potentially harmful situations. Cults in South Korea have refined their recruitment techniques, making it easy for people to unknowingly become their victim. ...
Aug. 13, 2022: 9 Warning Signs From Japan Expert That College Kids Are Being Wooed by Cults (https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20220813/p2a/00m/0na/012000c) (The Mainichi Shimbun)
2023: Anti-Cult Measures at Universities in Japan (https://journals.lub.lu.se/asiainfocus/article/view/27191/24504) (M Van Der Burg)
Jan. 9, 2024: 'Excuse Me, Can I Have 5 Minutes of Your Time?' The Modern Recruitment Methods of Korean Cults
(https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-01-09/national/kcampus/Excuse-me-can-I-have-five-minutes-of-your-time-The-modern-recruitment-methods-of-Korean-cults/1950176?detailWord=) (Korea JoongAng Daily)
July 26, 2025: Cults Recruiting on Campus & The 'Walk up Evangelism' Controversy (https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/uni-campus-cult-recruitment/105574494) (ABC Triple J Podcast)
QuoteStudents across the country are experiencing "walk up evangelism", and it's not just mainstream religious groups using the tactic. In this deep dive, hack explores how South Korean church Shincheonji uses campuses to recruit, and why cult-like groups prey on uni students in the first place.
Feb.11, 2026: Cult Recruitment Tactics Evolve on Korean Campuses Ahead of Spring Semester (https://en.sedaily.com/society/2026/02/11/cult-recruitment-tactics-evolve-on-korean-campuses-ahead-of-20260211) (Seoul Economic Daily)
QuoteKim, a 22-year-old student, said, "I joined a restaurant club last year, and it operated like a normal club at first. But after about two months, members started recommending religious studies. Since we had already become close, it wasn't easy to refuse."
March 17, 2026: Cult Activity on University Campuses: Kindness or Recruitment? (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-03-17/national/kcampus/Cult-activity-on-university-campuses-Kindness-or-recruitment/2544221) (Korea JoongAng Daily)