Jung Myungseok's Prison Funds Frozen... Garnished to Compensate Sexual Assault Victim

Court orders collection of over KRW 300 million from church deposits and other assets
Freezes future deposits and work incentive pay as well

The prison account funds of Jung Myungseok, 81, president of the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS), who is serving time for sexual crimes against female followers, have been forcibly garnished.

Jeong Myeong-seok, president of the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS), poses for a commemorative photo at a JMS event in February 2019. Photo provided by the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office.

According to legal sources on November 15, the Daejeon District Court recently granted an application by Maple, a Hong Kong national and victim of Jung’s sexual crimes, and issued an order to garnish and collect funds held in Jung’s prison account at Daejeon Correctional Institution. The court imposed the same garnishment on bank deposit claims and other assets held in the name of the JMS church. The amount sought from Jung and the church was approximately KRW 308.82 million each.

Under the court’s decision, withdrawals are now blocked from Jung’s funds currently deposited at the prison, any money deposited from outside in the future, and work incentive pay he earns for labor at the correctional facility.

Jung was sentenced by the Supreme Court to 17 years in prison for sexually assaulting and molesting Maple 23 times between February 2018 and September 2021 at locations including a retreat center in Wolmyeong-dong, Geumsan County, South Chungcheong Province, and for molesting female followers who were Australian and South Korean nationals.

Separately from the criminal trial, the victims filed civil damages claims against Jung, the church, and Kim Jiseon, 48, the church’s second-in-command and an accomplice. Last month, the 12th Civil Division of the Daejeon District Court, presided over by Judge Lim Seongsil, ordered Jung and the church to jointly pay Maple KRW 250 million plus interest for delay, and to pay two other victims KRW 80 million and KRW 40 million, respectively, plus interest.

Jung’s side filed an appeal against the first-instance civil ruling. However, the victims began compulsory enforcement proceedings based on the court’s provisional execution order, and the garnishment was carried out.

Previously, the Suwon District Court also granted Maple’s application to garnish funds in Kim’s detention-center account while he serves a seven-year prison sentence. Kim is jointly liable with Jung’s side to pay Maple KRW 30 million plus interest.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.