In the past, Youngsenggyo, whose group infection broke out, was notorious for killing and burialing gods

The Youngsenggyo Seungri Altar apologized for the outbreak of a novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19).

On the 10th, the Seungri Altar posted an apology in the name of all members of the congregation. They said, “I am very sorry and sorry that the outbreak of a group infection in the altar dormitory has caused concern to the people and many people who are working hard on quarantine.” Therefore, we will actively try to prevent further spread of the virus as soon as possible.”

On the 9th, the city of Bucheon announced that 53 people were diagnosed with Corona 19 at the Yeongsaenggyo Seungri Altar facility in Goean-dong and at the moisturizing academy in Ojeong-dong.

Instructor A, who worked at a tutoring academy while living in the male dormitory of the Seungri Altar, showed symptoms first. He was confirmed on the 8th. In the academy, group B, an elementary school student who was a student of Mr. A, was confirmed for the first time on the 7th after showing symptoms on the 6th. An official from Bucheon City said, “Group B was confirmed first, but we see Mr. A as an indicator patient (the first patient), whose symptoms were earlier.”

As a result of another group infection of religious facilities, attention is also being focused on the religion of the’Seungri Altar’.

The Victory Altar, also known as the Yeongsaenggyo, was founded in 1981 under the name of the priest Jo Hee-sung,’The Holy Assembly of Youngsaenggyo’.

The object of faith is the’winning God’, that is, Jo Hee-seong. He started from a Christian worldview, but denies Jesus. The homepage introduces Jo Hee-seong as “the person who came down in human flesh to save mankind.” He said, “Teacher Hee-Sung Jo completely overcome the sin and became God (Buddha). To become God (Buddha) means that you have achieved eternal life.” It is also celebrated by calling the 12th of August each year’Christmas’, saying that it is the’day the Savior Jo Hee-sung was born’.

They argue that “there is truth in eternal life that does not die, and it is religion that embodies eternal life.”

The’Seungri Altar’ became notorious for a terrible incident that shook Korean society. A terrible and violent incident occurred within the church, including confinement, assault, murder, and burying of an apostate (背敎者).

The first thing that appeared in the media was the abduction and imprisonment of a professor. A professor who had been a believer for about 7 years was kidnapped after leaving the denomination and was assaulted and imprisoned. Professor Lee insisted that his whole body was beaten by believers, saying, “I will remove the dirt from other churches.” The case was reported in the JoongAng Ilbo on May 29, 1989, “The Gyeongbuk University professor was confined for 19 days/denomination disputes at a specific church… It was reported under the title of’Reporting Escape from Bucheon-seo.’

They also gang assaulted the police who tried to arrest the headmaster who was accused of a crime. It was reported on September 29, 1992. At the time, Jo Hee-seong was accused of forcing a large donation while insisting on eschatology. Three police officers witnessed Choo-ju during the covert duty and tried to accompany him, but they were assaulted by about 50 members and were confined to the headquarters of the Victory Altar and released.

For this reason, Jo Hee-seong was arrested in 1994. The charges of instructing the congregation to assault the police officer and intercept it with 350 million won in the name of donation were applied.

Jo Hee-sung’s trial, held in August of that year, drew attention for his absurd remarks. Even in court, he has not bent his claim to be the Savior. “Because of my redemption, this year’s drought unprecedented. Even if I tried to stop the drought, I couldn’t stop it because I was in custody,” and “If I keep arresting me for more than a year, this country will perish.”

Eventually, for this case, Jo Hee-seong was sentenced to two years in prison in 1995 by the Supreme Court.

Another suspicion arose that Youngsaenggyo confined and murdered a former member of the church while the case was forced to donate. It is a so-called ‘Young Saenggyo Shinto Murder Case’. The incident was made known to the world through a family complaint that an unknown believer was murdered, and a report that the church kidnapped and confined the defectors.

Through the investigation, it was confirmed that six people, including Jimo (at the time 35 years old), a member of Yeongsaenggyo, were kidnapped and murdered by the same believers in 1990-92 and were buried.

Along with the main culprit in the case, the prosecution applied the charge of ordering the murder of Jo Hee-sung (a murder teacher, etc.) and requested the death penalty. The first trial sentenced Jo Hee-sung to death, but the second trial convicted only of the charges of evading the criminal and sentenced him to two years in prison. This was the reason that the possibility that the believer who led the murder had committed an arbitrary crime because of his blind loyalty to the church head and the church could not be ruled out.

The court’s judgment on Jo Hee-sung eventually went to the Supreme Court, but Jo Hee-seong died suddenly at the Seoul detention center one month after the second trial. It was June 2004. At the time, the Ministry of Justice said, “Mr. Jo complained of shortness of breath while sweating, and was transferred to a nearby Anyang Hospital for treatment, but died of myocardial infarction around 5 am the next day.”

The priest who preached’Theory of Eternal Life’ was also unable to avoid death, but there is still a testimony that he met Jo Hee-sung, saying he did not die on YouTube, etc. operated by the Seungri Altar.

Reporter Juhee Hong [email protected]