Stranger Things

Shinzu Abe was not the first person to be killed due to frustration and anger at the Unification Church's thirst for money.

August 22, 2013: Unification Church Member Sets Self on Fire, Injures Others

August 22: Three 'Moonies' Set Themselves Ablaze in S. Korea (Fox News - Inaccurate Headline)

August 22: Unification Church Member Inflames Self, 2 Others (Associated Press)

From UC Member Tim Elder, who started this Facebook group to help get answers and come to terms with the tragedy.

QuoteHere's a summary of how I understand the story so far:

Controversy over a Japanese member's request for the church to refund a donation led to a vicious attack Thursday that so far has two members fighting for their lives.
According to Korean media reports, Atsuko Kumon and Rev. Masahiro Ono were in the lobby of Cheongshim Village, along with a large group of Japanese members waiting for their room assignments. The members had just arrived from Japan to attend the ceremonies scheduled for Friday.

Kumon doused Ono and herself with flammable liquid, thought to be paint thinner, using a five-liter container. She then set fire to the liquid using a cigarette lighter. A third person was also splashed with the liquid and caught fire as she tried to get away.

The fire set off the sprinkler system in the lobby, preventing the fire from spreading to others or to the building itself.
The three who caught fire panicked and ran out of the building, away from the water coming from the sprinkler system. Fire extinguishers had to be used to put out the fires on their bodies. Witnesses said this took about five minutes.

The three were transported initially to Cheongshim Hospital, where Kumon and Ono were found to be in critical condition with third degree burns over much of their bodies. The two were transferred to the Hallym University Medical Center in Seoul for specialized treatment. The third victim remained in Cheongshim Hospital, because her injury was not as severe.
As she was being admitted to HUMC, Kumon told hospital staff that she had no money, and that she "did it because I want to die."
An earlier report that Kumon had died as s a result of her injury now appears to have been wrong. An updated report says she continues in a critical condition HUMC. Ono remains at HUMC in critical condition.

Information on Kumon's motive in the attack is sketchy, but it appears related to her efforts to help another member, her spiritual child, secure a refund of a 20-million-yen donation made sometime previously to the Hyogo region of the Japanese church, where Ono serves as regional leader.

Sources within the church told blogger Kazuhiro Yonemoto that an agreement was made with the spiritual child to make the refund in installments, and that about 1.5 million yen had been paid out. This, however, appears not to have satisfied the spiritual child or Kumon.

Kumon appears to have traveled to Cheongpyeong for the purpose of confronting Ono about the donation refund.
on Friday

Despite reporting on the incident, there don't seem to be any follow-up articles. Tim himself ran into a brickwall searching for more details:


The most extensive piece on this is on The Tragedy of the Six Marys site, operated by former members

Here is a similar post on How Well Do You Know Your Moon - I think operated by the same former members.