Stranger Things

Feb. 16, 1984: Uruguay Is Fertile Soil For Moon Church Money (The New York Times)

Nov. 28, 1998: Moonies Build A New Garden of Eden in Brazil's Fertile Cowboy Country (The Independent)

Quote"America doesn't have anywhere to go now," Mr Moon said in a speech in New York earlier this year. "The country that represents Satan's harvest is America, the kingdom of extreme individuality, of free sex."

So now you might find him in Jardim - where he is constructing a mini- country, with dozens of theme cities - or in nearby Uruguay or Argentina, rather than his pounds 6m New York mansion or his farm in Texas.

Mr Moon has an impressive list of friends - Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Augusto Pinochet. Not bad for a man who insists Jesus Christ was the product of an adulterous affair. But then Mr Moon is convinced he is the new Messiah, the Chosen One. ...

Mr Moon is still smarting from a string of failed projects, including ambitious land purchases in Africa and a car-manufacturing project in China. In recent years his followers have been kicked out of several strongly Catholic Central American nations, including Guatemala and El Salvador, for "bad manners", a euphemism for proselytising in the streets while on tourist visas.

Venezuela recently barred his followers from any religious activities for the same reason. In Uruguay, where he also owns the newspaper Ultimas Noticias and the five-star Victoria Plaza hotel, his bank, Banco de Credito, was recently put under the control of the Central Bank after management and liquidity problems. ...

A local Catholic priest, Bruno Brugnolaro, is not so welcoming. In a country where the traditional Catholicism is increasingly being undercut by evangelical churches from the US or elsewhere, he is clearly concerned as to Mr Moon's motives. "How can he talk about family when he has been married several times?" he told the Florida newspaper.

Aug. 15, 1999: Moonies Make 'Heaven on Earth' (BBC)

QuoteThe group has already spent more than $20m on a 74,000 acre site, called New Hope Ranch. Two thousand followers are already living on the site, and they plan to invest $2bn over the next 10 years. The Moonies are intending to invite local children to attend their school by offering them free transport, although they insist there will be no indoctrination in classrooms

Feb. 3, 2000: Moonies Aim to Score With Brazilians (BBC)

Feb. 28, 2002: Brazil Probes Moonie Land Purchases (BBC)

QuoteMembers of the church running the project have said the idea is to create a model of development which would become the envy of the world, with new towns dedicated to different types of agriculture and industry.

But the authorities are worried that the holdings of the 82-year-old Korean multimillionaire, whose followers believe he is the latter-day Messiah, may be a threat to national security....

The church initially did all it could to get local support, holding regular barbecues for locals and giving out ambulances and other gifts. But now the project is raising suspicion and the local state legislature has set up a commission to investigate Reverend Moon's activities

April 14, 2006: Over The Moon: How Football Wins Recruits For Sect Leader in Brazil (The Guardian)

QuoteUnification Church's critics say sports projects are used to brainwash impoverished young people. ...

Outside the club, Moon's powers of persuasion have also come to the fore at regular meetings with local authorities and businessmen in the five-star hotels of Campo Grande. The tactic seems to have paid off - the parliamentary inquiry, installed in 2002 to look into Moon's activities on his vast ranch in Jardim, shied away from showing him the red card, concluding that his extravagant projects should be seen as "an excellent opportunity to establish a bridge with the first world and not as the installation of the Kingdom of Evil on Earth". ...

It has to be said that Moon's own family life has not been perfect. Now estimated to be a billionaire, he has been married at least twice, fathered 13 or 14 children, been convicted of tax evasion in the US and is banned from the EU. Several of his offspring have had marital problems and at least one has had drug addiction problems.

When it launched in Britain and other countries in the 1970s and 1980s, the church was heavily criticised for its brainwashing conversion techniques - so-called "heavenly deception" - and the pressures it placed on followers. It claims to have long since abandoned these methods. It has also drawn criticism for the fortune it seems to have accumulated; it owns a string of companies, is involved in the manufacture of military equipment ...

I'm not the only person to notice that there is no clear vision for this UC controlled country/world. I looked up the member who told a victim to stop talking to the media in the following article:

Oct. 19: UC Tries But Fails to Silence Farmer in Kochi (Asahi Shimbun)

QuoteA farmer in Kochi Prefecture who blames the Unification Church for the breakup of his family said a church leader made an unwelcomed visit to tell him to stop talking to the media. Tatsuo Hashida, 64, said the senior official, Hideyuki Teshigawara, would not leave the home even after a phone call to the police was made. "I don't want you to be on the mass media anymore," Hashida quoted Teshigawara as telling him.

Hideyuki Teshigawara wrote the following piece about the country the UC hopes to control one day:

Dec. 30, 2013: The Economic System in Cheon Il Guk (Hideyuki Teshigawara/True Parents)

QuoteAs far as I know, there is no one who can explain the concrete system of Cheon Il Guk. But then is it possible to realize something without any clear vision and goal? Even if we have a clear vision and goal, it may be difficult to realize Cheon Il Guk. Obviously, Cheon Il Guk is not the nation that can automatically be built by God's miraculous power. ...

Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and money" (Luke 16:13). In my view, there will be no monetary system in Cheon Il Guk. In the present economic system, money is the main medium of exchange. It is used as "something in return," a kind of reward in the transaction. Here is a major contradiction between money and Rev. Moon's thought of giving and forgetting what one has given. For example, Rev. Moon said, "In the heavenly world of the future, the time for living off a monthly salary will pass away," and also stated, "There is no concept of equalization in the world of money.... People do not want to share these things, so they will never stand equal and there will be no peace."

Related:
Circa 1975: A World Without Money: Communism (The Anarchist Library)

Quote from: Peter Daley on July 18, 2018, 09:12:33 PMI'll be talking about putting together an English blog detailing Mr Hwang's campaign and the hijacking in general. Interesting Olympic connection - the plane took off from Gangneung, one of the cities hosting events.

Unfortunately, we had to abandon that blog, but I just noticed The Internet Archive has something of a record of it. It's now how it originally appeared, but I'm glad it hasn't entirely gone.

2015 Continued

July 1: Mass Wedding for NK Defectors Held in Seoul (The Chosun Ilbo)

July 1: Finding Hope in a Trash Can: How an NK Boy Kept Himself From Starving & Made it to America (Washington Post)

July 5: 80% of NK Defectors are Female (The Korea Herald)

July 6: NK Defector's Tale Won't be Told in SK (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Young NK Defectors Find Lifeline in Friendly School in South (John Power - Christian Science Monitor)

July 17:  A Rare North Korean in Los Angeles Just Wants to Blend in (Southern California Public Radio)

July 22: NK Human Trafficking Survivor Vows to Empower New Malden Refugees by Teaching English (SW Londoner)

July 28: After Leaving NK, Writers Are Penning Stories About Their Home (LA Times)

Aug. 8: Reverend Helps North Koreans Defect to South (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Aug. 15: A North Korean Defector's Regret (The New York Times) (Defector stories don't get crazier than this!)

Aug. 17: NK Defectors Arrested on Drug Use & Trafficking Charges (UPI)

Aug. 17: Police Nab NK Defectors for Alleged Drug Use (Yonhap News)

Aug. 19: Hope For NK Refugees In UK Through New Support Projects (Migrant Voice)

Aug. 25: NK Defector Speaks Out For Freedom (John Redmond for The Korea Times)

Sept. 3: Freedom Speech Contest For NK Defectors (Atlas Network)

Sept. 9: More NK Defectors Report Dissatisfaction With Life in South (UPI)

Sept. 11: Defectors in SK Dying of Suicide, Unknown Reasons (NK News)

Sept. 18: Male Defectors Struggle in SK Job Market (NK News)

Sept. 24: Claims Defector Wants to Return to NK Met With Mixed Reactions (NK News)

Sept. 26: Teach NK Refugees, Seoul (On The Ground NGO)

Sept. 27: Almost 700 NK Defectors' Whereabouts Unknown (Yonhap News)

Sept. 27: Whereabouts of NK Defectors Unknown (The Korea Times)

Oct. 20: Report: Defectors' Economic Prospects on the Rise (Daily NK News)

Oct. 20: Korea Hana Foundation Expands Defector Mentoring Program (Daily NK News)

Oct. 24: SK Plastic Surgeons Help NK Defectors Erase Their Scars (The New York Times)

Nov. 2: NK Defector Trained in Propaganda Art Now Uses it to Mock Rulers (LA Times)

Nov. 4: How North Korea's Defectors Have Became The New Disruptors (Opportunity Lives)

Nov. 9: First NK Defectors Enter SK Unification Ministry (Daily NK)

Nov. 14: Number of NK Defectors on Steady Decline (The Korea Times)

Dec. 2: Kim Jong-un's Aunt to Sue Defectors for Defamation (The Chosun Ilbo)

Dec. 3: China Turning Hostile Toward NK Defectors (The Korea Times)

Dec. 15: The Stereotype of the Damaged North Korean Is Demeaning (Rachel Stine for Huffington Post)

Dec. 18: NK Pay Over $8,000 to Escape (The Korea Times)

According to some Facebook posts by members:

March 31: Dr. Hak Ja Han, Co-Founder of the Universal Peace Federation, Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize (Wolfgang Werner/Facebook)

QuoteA recognition of her peacebuilding work in relation to dialogue, humanitarian service, and international cooperation Dr. Hak Ja Han, co-founder of the Universal Peace Federation, has been nominated for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in the category of Peace and Fraternity between Nations. The nomination was formally submitted by Dr. Jan Figel, former European Union Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief and acting President of FOREF Europe (Forum for Religious Freedom Europe).

From Dr Jan Figel's Wikipedia:

QuoteFigeľ has long maintained close cooperation with the Unification Church, participates in its events, and has been listed among the movement's VIP politicians. Unification Church is a new religious movement that many experts describe as a cult and has been associated with cases of political corruption in South Korea. In 2023, Figeľ was awarded the title of doctor honoris causa by the HJ International Graduate School for Peace and Public Leadership in New York, which is associated with the Unification Church. In 2025, Figeľ became chairman of the organization FOREF Europe, which is also closely linked to the Unification Church.

March 31: 'Unification is 2nd Miracle on Han River': Global Peace Foundation Head (The Korea Times)

QuoteGlobal Peace Foundation (GPF) founder and Chairman Hyun Jin Preston Moon said the two Koreas' unification would not be an economic disaster but could instead create a "second Miracle on the Han River" by expanding Korea's domestic market....

His mother, Han Hak-ja, was arrested on charges including alleged political funding violations and accusations of improper ties with former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his spouse around the 2022 presidential election. Han is currently being held at Seoul Detention Center.

Moon also criticized current Unification Church leaders such as Yoon Young-ho, a former director-general at the church's world headquarters, and Jeong Won-ju, former chief of staff to the church president, questioning their qualifications while accusing them of consolidating power within the organization.

On the question of his mother's legal culpability, Moon said current leaders had placed her in a position of formal responsibility while exploiting her role. While his mother may have violated the law, he argued, she did not intentionally direct any wrongdoing.

"I believe my mother is, like my two brothers, another victim created by the church's midlevel leaders," he said. "She had been protected within the church structure for decades and was likely unaware of the legal risks she faced." He added that he has repeatedly offered to help free her from detention.

"I reached out to the current leadership multiple times with offers to help," he said. "But they were so afraid of my mother and me meeting that they did not respond at all." He said that church leaders view him and the GPF as adversaries and have filed more than 30 lawsuits against him, while he has only responded in defense. Asked whether he has visited Han in detention, Moon said legal complications made a meeting difficult unless she requested one first.

April 3: Prosecutors Demand Four-Year Sentence for Yun in Church Bribery Appeal (The Chosun Daily)

QuoteYun's defense team countered, "While the defendant carried out the crime, he did not lead it," and claimed, "It was solely for the sake of Chairman Han Hak-ja, a symbolic figure within the Unification Church." They argued that Yun merely followed Chairman Han's instructions. Additionally, Yun's defense team argued, "The first trial reflected the defendant's sincere cooperation with the investigation in the sentencing," and insisted, "This should be considered as a mitigating factor."

Yun himself, given the opportunity to speak, stated, "I am sorry for causing controversy and feel a great sense of responsibility," and added, "As I have consistently testified to reveal the substantive truth of the religious group, I request the court's leniency to allow me to be with my family."

April 8: Special Counsel Seeks 15-year Prison Term For Ex-First Lady Oover Church Bribery, Stock Manipulation

QuoteA special counsel team on Wednesday sought a 15-year prison term for former first lady Kim Keon Hee, appealing a lower court ruling that convicted her of taking bribes from the Unification Church but acquitted her of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme and of illegally receiving opinion polling data for free.

A lower court in January sentenced Kim to one year and eight months in prison and ordered the forfeiture of 12.8 million won ($8,700) after finding her guilty of receiving bribes from the Unification Church.

Some good news Han Hak-ja & The UC:
April 10: Chun Jae-soo Cleared of Unification Church Charges (Chosun Daily)

QuoteA joint police-prosecution task force (headed by Kim Tae-hoon, chief of the Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office) investigating allegations of financial misconduct involving the Unification Church announced on the 10th that it had cleared all current and former lawmakers accused of receiving funds. The case involving Chun Jae-soo, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker and Busan mayoral candidate, who was suspected of receiving a luxury watch, was dismissed due to "lack of prosecutorial authority."

Criticism emerged in legal circles after the former lawmaker was cleared only after securing his nomination, with some claiming the task force had "granted immunity to ruling party power figures." The task force's swift announcement of its conclusion—just one day after the former lawmaker was confirmed as the Busan mayoral candidate—fueled perceptions of timing-driven leniency. ...

Former lawmakers Lim and Kim were accused of each receiving 30 million Korean won from the Unification Church in April 2020 (violating the Political Funds Act). The task force acknowledged their "ongoing relationships with the Unification Church, including event attendance," but dismissed the charges due to "unclear specifics about the amounts or circumstances of the funds." Consequently, Unification Church figures suspected of providing the funds—including President Han Hak-ja, former secretary Jeong, and former chief Yun—were also cleared.

However, the task force indicted four aides to the former lawmaker without detention for allegedly destroying evidence by wiping computers and damaging hard drives at their Busan district office ahead of a raid. It remains unclear whether the aides acted on the former lawmaker's orders.

April 10: Joint Task Force Clears Jeon Jae-su of Unification Church Allegations; Opposition Cries Foul (Seoul Economic Daily)

April 11: Chun Cleared, Aides Indicted for Evidence Destruction (The Chosun Daily)

QuoteA legal professional remarked, "How can aides who destroyed evidence to cover something up be indicted, while the politician accused of crimes is cleared?"

April 13: PPP Reviews Legal Action Against Joint Investigation Team Chief (The Chosun Daily)

April 13: Korean Church Law Association Urges Withdrawal of "Bill to Prevent Church-State Collusion" (Asia Business Daily)

QuoteFurthermore, the association criticized the bill for failing to adequately address the core harms perpetrated by anti-social religious organizations—such as gaslighting, extortion of offerings, and family destruction—while instead providing grounds for dissolution based on politically contentious criteria like "church-state collusion" or violations of the Public Official Election Act.

The association also noted that in the case of the dissolution of the Unification Church in Japan, the main reason was not political collusion, but rather the prolonged, systematic extortion of illegal donations.

April 17: Why Korea's New Religion Bill is Rattling Protestant Churches (The Korea Times)

QuoteThe Korean Society of Church Law proposed a special law explicitly targeting Shincheonji and the Unification Church, though critics argue that singling out specific groups sets a dangerous precedent.

Instead, experts advocate for victim support and public awareness over legal punishment, pointing to Britain's Information Network Focus on Religious Movements and Japan's National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales — or deceptive religious fundraising — as models.

Ahae's website then, and now.

Then - before and soon after the sinking.

Some sentences I highlighted when first reading it:

A vague reference to perhaps his time in jail:

QuoteIt was during the 1970s that Ahae first became active in the photographic field; he started collecting cameras and taking photographs, and this continued through the 80s. In those years, however, time and other commitments would not allow him to pursue this art form with the intensity that he desired. He was forced to apply his hand elsewhere and had to wait a couple of decades before he was able to take up his camera once more.

And then his taking of millions of photos out of the same window. Do the maths:

QuoteRecently, in the course of four years, Ahae took more than 2.6 million photographs—all from just one window of his studio—recording the countless episodes that took place within his view amongst the creatures with whom we share our planet. It was selections from these photographs that were on display at the first Through My Window exhibition at Grand Central Terminal in spring, 2011.

During these four years Ahae was to be found at his window every day, come rain or shine, recording every natural feature and scene that catches his eye. Most of these episodes go unnoticed. Ahae not only sees them, but through his art, he attempts to bring them to the view of the rest of the world. Scenes pastoral and comic, dramatic and tragic, dynamic and serene, enchanting and breathtakingly beautiful are captured through his lens.

Again, do the maths - or "math" if you're American:

QuoteSince Ahae takes an average of 2,000 to 4,000 photographs every day, it has become necessary to establish a photo-processing station to facilitate the archiving of the constant flood of photographs. This is operated by Ahae Press, Inc. During processing, in keeping with Ahae's philosophy of maintaining natural integrity, there is absolutely no manipulation of photographs, such as colour alteration, cutting and pasting, combining of photographs, or introduction of foreign elements into the images; only clean-up of photographs (aligning, spot-removing, and minor contrast and light correction) is allowed before the final works are printed.

The amazing accomplishment of producing one million photographs in two years through just one window has never before been attempted, let alone carried out.

I wonder why?

Now - It has been trimmed and mention added of the ferry tragedy and his jailing, which helped inspire his photo project. The jailing was significant in that respect, but was not mentioned until after his death.

QuoteIn 1991, after an intense and sensationalist media campaign against him, Ahae was convicted of financial crimes that he firmly maintained throughout his life he did not commit. Ahae was incarcerated for four years. In his cell, there was a window through which he would watch a tree with a bird's nest wisely built between the tree's thickest branches. He spoke about this scene occasionally after his release. In 2009, in the countryside of South Korea, as Ahae set out to sketch the nature scene outside his studio window, he noticed the stirrings of the various fauna and began photographing them. This soon evolved into what is now known as the Through My Window project, in which from one window each day and night continuously for five years, Ahae took 3.3 million photographs of the natural world just beyond his window. Throughout all hours of the days and nights of the four seasons, he captured the birds, water deer, land and sky, nightscapes, and water reflections. The project revealed itself to be Ahae's opportunity to regain the four years he had lost by sharing with the world the seemingly obvious and yet commonly unnoticed natural universe. This insight into nature could only be gained through Ahae's unbroken observation, through the camera lens, of the natural world over the course of years, battling with the ceaseless elements of his internal and external conditions, to ultimately reveal the infinity of the natural world. This discovery could not be suppressed by physical confinement (the involuntary confinement of his imprisonment), but rather was made possible by it (the voluntary confinement to one window in his studio).

On April 16, 2014, at the end of Ahae's fifth year into the project, the sinking of the Sewol ferry resulted in the tragic deaths of 304 passengers, the majority of whom were children. The Sewol was owned by a company that emerged during the East Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s from a separate company that was originally founded by Ahae. Once again Ahae was engulfed in controversy. In the summer of 2014, while he was being pursued by the authorities as the alleged ultimate cause of this tragedy, Ahae was found dead under mysterious circumstances. Those close to Ahae maintain that he was neither the owner of the ferry company nor involved in its day-to-day operations. And, in August 2016, a three-judge panel of the Seoul Administrative Court unanimously rejected the argument that Ahae owned an interest in the ferry company, finding that there was insufficient evidence to connect Ahae to the company.

Now we continue to carry out the mission of the project started by Ahae in the last years of his life and, in accordance with the artist's wish, to share the beauty of the natural world with others; to emphasize the importance of clean air, fresh water, and natural food to maintain a healthy body and mind; and to help people incorporate these elements in their lives to the greatest extent possible.

Although I haven't explored the music of Michael Nyman, this was one of the few times my interest in cults intersected with my love of music. Actually, it's not all that uncommon.

Seven months before the sinking of the Sewol, a symphony dedicated to Yoo Byeung-eun had its premier by the London Symphony Orchestra. The recording mentioned below may or may not have taken place, but the symphony wasn't released as planned.

QuoteNews - Nyman Symphony No 6 Premiere

Friday, September 06, 2013
On September 8 the London Symphony Orchestra will premiere a new orchestral work by Michael Nyman, Symphony No 6 'Ahae'. The composer will conduct the performance, which takes place at The Royal Opera of the Palace of Versailles, Paris. The symphony in four movements represents the four seasons in nature as depicted by the artist Ahae in his photographic work "Through My Window". The piece will be performed to mark the end of an exhibition of wildlife photographs taken by the South Korean industrialist, known simply as Ahae. Several hundred of the 2.6 million images taken by Ahae have been on display; all photographs were taken from a first-floor window of Ahae's home near Seoul, which he rarely leaves.

The new symphony is part of a major series of symphonies that Nyman is composing which are intended for premiere over the next two years in celebration of his 70th birthday. Symphony No 6 is due to be recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra for release at a later date.

The above promo blurb was deleted soon after the sinking, and I knew this link was still available showing part of the musical score - correction, it's the full score - and how to hire it for performance, but I had assumed the symphony had been scrapped. However, I was just now - March 31, 2026 - as I finally get around to adding a little to this thread, noticed it was performed two years after the sinking in 2016 conducted by the composer. I know for a fact Michael was informed about the criminal and cultic history of "Ahae" and the horror that was the Sewol's sinking. The name "Ahae", the title of the symphony, isn't used here:


But it does appear on the score excerpts I linked to above:


I guess Michael liked the music he wrote for his dead cult leader patron.

Bizarre factoid: Before honouring Yoo with a symphony, Michael Nyman scored a film called Drowning by Numbers.

Why a forum like this?

Aside from obviously being about cults, I am also interested in how cults are perceived/depicted in the media and in some academic circles. Hence, this current site, which is essentially my take 3 version - long story - is about 95% links to articles with selected quotes and 5% my comments/thoughts and some related anecdotes.

Regarding this type of forum, I like the structure such a forum provides, and it's easily editable.  I like being able to show how a group was/is represented in the media over time along with key related events. I think that is especially interesting and worthwhile regarding those enormous events that suddenly thrust a cult into the spotlight - an event so shocking or significant that the related group can no longer "fly under the radar" and it is certainly no longer business as usual. For example, the tragedy that was sinking of the Sewol ferry. Then, it's interesting to explore the history of such a group before it became infamous: What were they doing? Who noticed and cared? - And who didn't.

The next simple answer is that while there are other larger and more detailed sites, How Well Do You Know Your Moon, for example, I enjoy discovering tidbits and obscure articles and making connections etc. If I find something related to the Unification Church that isn't on that site, I know I deserve a pat on the back.

And that brings me to the main purpose of this site which is education and awareness. I am sure someone who knows little or less than the average Joe about cults in general or the specifc groups I explore here can leave having gained some awareness or better yet - hopefully, a deeper understanding of the topic and many of the surrounding issues.

One aspect that may be surprising given that goal is that I am the only person in the entire world with the ability to post here. The reason for that is that when I had an earlier site, sometimes a former member posted the names of current members. That's certainly fine if that member was named in a news article etc, but if not, then that can be considered an invasion of privacy. I did have a few complaints about some posts that I hadn't immediately noticed. So I would rather just not have to worry about some inadvertant or intentional naming/shaming comments and how they affect the person concerned. And with that in mind, here's a note to myself: try not to make too many enemies. Making no new enemies would be nice, but is it possible when exploring this topic? Honestly and sadly, I think the answer is no. But I can try to avoid that.

Another very important goal is more personal. It is very easy for such an interest and related activism to become all-consuming. With that in mind, I need to be conscious of that and make sure this remains a relativly minor part of my life. It may not look that way when you click on a thread and see hundreds of links, but it really isn't that time consuming. And this site has existed since 2018, and a lot of links were collected prior to that on earlier sites I operated. Hence, I had most of the older links already either posted or saved, so the bulk of links posted before 2025 were copied and pasted an dthat was the work of mere hours.

And actually, for long periods I ignored this site and even almost forgot about it. I certainly forgot my password a few dozen times! I would still like to ignore it for months at a time, but with The Unification Church currently (March 2026) in the news in Japan and Korea, it is not a boring time to be a watcher of cults.  So while I am endeavoring to prioritize other aspects of my life, I've accepted that interest in cults comes in waves as dictated by events, and I'll usually try to ride those waves while secretly hoping for calmer waters.

Future Plans:

1. I would like to make more videos - from the safety and security of home instead of out in the field surrounded by hundreds of angry cultists protesting against negative (aka accurate) reporting - in this exampe from The Christian Broadcasting Service (CBS):


2. And I hope to interact with more former members and Youtubers and podcasters who explore cults. I recently had a fascinating Zoom with two former members of different Korean cults: Shincheonji and The Heavenly Mother's World Mission Society Church of God. And I reached out to a podcaster with an impressive list of guests, and I was happy to get an immediate positive response.

Related: I recently did a 90-minute YouTube one-on-one chat, but I'm too self critical to share it here! It was my first time talking about this site after mostly keeping it to myself, and the first time in about 9 years that I talked about cults in public/on TV. Actually, I initially asked for it not to be released, but after some edits and some kind words - was I lovebombed?, I said, "Make it so".

Some videos I would like to make are the answers I had wished I had given. I went off on a few unplanned tangents - a natural result of such a spontaneous conversation - and I realized later that I had neglected/forgotten to mention some important and fascinating details and events. Plus, I spoke too fast - exactly what I tell my students not to do before a presentation. And I was quite animated gesture-wise. That was a reminder that we can plan and prepare all we want, but sometimes some of that goes out the window when the event starts and the cameras roll.

I should have taken my own advice and written "Don't talk too fast and try to relax" on a piece of paper placed on the deck I was sitting at. Alas. Well, it was a learning experience. Joking aside about lovebombing, I was really touched by some of the interviewers comments and am glad that I was able to give him some content which should spark some interesting comments/debate. Maybe it's time to....

...

Nov. 6, 2013: Politician Claims to Have Superpowers (Korea JoongAng Daily)

QuoteHuh, who won 0.4 percent of the vote in 2008 and has a history of making, err, unusual statements - like having an IQ of 430 - made his latest claims on a phone interview on the entertainment show "K-Star News" on cable channel SBS E! yesterday.

When Huh was asked if he knows Exo and its members claims to be aliens with superpower, Huh responded that he was one the one who came up with their names and gave them their powers.

Jan. 23, 2024: White Heaven Palace and Huh Kyung Young: Political Peacemaker of a New Religion in Contemporary Korea (David Kim (ANU)/International Journal of Religion)

The full paper should be available here, but it isn't loading for me. Incidently, I met David in 2016 at the CESNUR conference here in Korea.
Note to Self: Try meet up for a coffee next time I'm in Canberra.

Abstract:

QuoteA common purpose of religious organisations is promoting global or regional peace perspectives through their teachings and practices. Native religious groups in Korea emerged owing to the social transformation of internal security. The ruin of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) and the colonial repression by the Japanese Empire (1910–1945) and Korean War (1950–1953) resulted in the growth of new religious movements. Korean contemporary society (post-1980s) also witnesses the emergence of unique religious leaders. Do any groups promote the socio-political policy of a peacemaker? This paper explores the new religious movement of Huh Kyung Young (1947– ) and his adherents through the perspectives of military-economic environment, mystical prophecy, popular culture, politics, election, new religion, and suspicion. The paper not only demonstrates the historical process of a pop singer and politician becoming a new religious leader, but also argues that the contemporary group of Haneulgung ('While Heaven Palace') attempts to establish a permanent peace through the sacred-political domination of the so-called, 'the God Man' rather than depending on secular powers.

March 19, 2024: Huh Kyung-young Sued For Sexually Harassing Female Followers (The Korea Herald)

QuoteHuh Kyung-young, a cult leader, singer and fringe politician who has run in presidential elections multiple times, faces accusations of sexually harassing over 20 female followers. He has denied the allegations.

The Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police said Tuesday that 22 members of "Sky Palace,"a cult group founded and led by Huh, filed complaints, asking the police to investigate the leader's alleged misconduct.

They claimed that at the cult's headquarters in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, Huh conducts a ritual called an "energy healing" session, during which he has women sit on his lap and hug him, claiming this act will cure their illnesses and improve their lives. Each session requires participants to pay 100,000 won ($74) for attendance, and yet it still manages to attract 50-100 attendees. ...

On a personal level, he claims to have an IQ of 430 and magical abilities, including levitation and walking much faster than others by warping space and time. In 2009, he released his debut single, "Call Me," and has since released several more tracks.

May 13, 2025: South Korea Targets a Cult Leader in Sex, Fraud Probe (OCCRP)

May 17, 2025: Showman or Visionary? Flamboyant Politician Sentenced to Prison (The Korea Times)

QuoteIn a world ruled by Huh Kyung-young — a Korean politician who ran for president three times, claimed an IQ of 430 and said he could levitate — the United Nations headquarters wouldn't be in New York. It would be in Korea, a utopia where every adult receives 100 million won ($71,000).

That world is now gone for good. On Friday, a court issued an arrest warrant for Huh, charging him with fraud, violations of the Political Funds Act, and harassment involving coercion.

May 19, 2025: Where is Huh Kyung-young, the Eccentric Serial Presidential Candidate Who Once Vowed to Levitate? (Choi Jae-hee for The Korea Herald)
Note to Self: Congratulate Choi Jae-hee for their use of the phrase "serial presidential candidate".

June 11, 2025: Cult Leader with Presidential Ambitions Indicted on Fraud & Indecent Assault (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Sept. 30, 2025: Huh Kyung-young Denies Political Funds, Sexual Misconduct Charges (The Chosun Daily)

Nov. 11, 2025: Huh Kyung-young Aides Referred for Embezzlement, Fund Violations (The Chosun Daily)