A South Korean district court sentences Jesus Morning Star (JMS) sect leader Jeong Myeong-seok, 81, to 33 years in prison for sexually assaulting female followers. The ruling comes after Jeong is convicted over allegations that he sexually assaulted or molested 16 women between 2018 and 2022.
According to the court, Jeong uses “religious control and influence” to make victims incapable of resisting, including through brainwashing followers to believe he is the “Messiah.” The court says the crimes are malicious and repeated over a long period, and it issues a longer term than prosecutors sought—27 years. In addition to the prison sentence, the court orders Jeong to wear an electronic tracking device for 15 years and bars him for 10 years from working at facilities serving children, adolescents, or disabled people.
The case is described as part of Jeong’s broader series of convictions. He is already serving a separate 17-year sentence after South Korea’s Supreme Court finalized a decision in January 2025 related to sexual assault.
