The girl that lost her life during a training - MBC
MBC News, 2020.04.11
This is Lee Ji-soo of the Human Rights and Social Affairs Team.
Shincheonji conducted spiritual trainings in order to educate the members in the absolute
obedience and in the doctrine of deception, and last week it reported the death of a young
woman in her 20s during one of these trainings. However, it turned out that at the time
Shincheonji systematically covered up the truth of the fatal accident and didn't even reveal
to the victim's parents that she belonged to Shincheonji.
I'll go back to the scene.
Dutasan 1,357 meters a.s.l. located in the Gangwon Province, between Samcheok and Donghae.
In March 2012, the snow reached the ankles, but six or seven people were lined up, climbing the mountain without climbing equipment.
[Video:“I'll make way.”]
This is the spiritual training that the chairman Lee Man-hee has often emphasized.
Chairman Lee Man-hee, (September 2011): "Being trained really means that the spirit gets trained."
That day, more than 30 members, including those that had completed the education in
the Simon tribe, participated to the spiritual training and a young woman in her 20es died
of hypothermia.
Eight years after she passed away, her mother still diligently and composedly put
her daughter's favorite snacks in a jegi* (*a bowl used for memorial rituals*)
Victim's mother: “She should have had a proper meal before leaving.”
But she can't bear to stay in front of the memorial house.
Victim's mother: “How have you been? I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. Oh, my God. I can't forget you.”
However, until recently, the bereaved families did not know that the victim had been
recruited into Shincheonji.
Victim's mother: “I feel suffocating. I have never imagined. I didn't think she was going
there. I thought she went on a school trip.”
The persons concerned did not reveal that they belonged to Shincheonji until they handed over the agreement.
Victim's uncle: “They never said they were Shincheonji. They didn't say anything. They only talked about a church. They just said they belonged to some church.”
During the police investigation, the participants declared they were affiliated to a church in Goyang, "The victim was not a church member but she just came to the retreat following an acquaintance."
The church members who participated in the training with the victim confessed
that it was all false.
Former Sincheonji member attending the training at the time: “That night, we
all gathered on the ninth floor of the Hwajeong Simon tribe Church, and we couldn't go
home, and we prearranged a story and kissed each other. We discussed with the person
in charge of the training and the head of the department, and they told us, „Let's agree on
what we should say because the detectives may call.”
Also, the responsibility was passed on to the victim, and they were not allowed to inform of
the event any people outside.
Former Sincheonji member attending the training at the time: “We agreed on saying that
she died of exposure because she didn't wear warm enough clothes. We also wrote a
memorandum that said we wouldn't have talked about this.”
In the end, only one of the members was fined 5 million won.
Kim Jong-chul, who was briefed on the accident as an executive of the Shincheonji
General Assembly at the time, said that the General Assembly officials were dispatched
to the tribe in order to prepare for the investigation.
They also reported to Lee Man-hee.
Kim Jong-chul, former Shincheonji General Assembly executive: “The Director of the
General Affairs, the Director of the Legal Affairs, and the Director of the Evangelism.
The three of them went. Then the General Assembly Secretary had to report to the
chairman (Lee Man-hee)."
He also explained that the church members made false statements because of their
doctrine.
Kim Jong-chul,former Shincheonji General Assembly executive: "There's a manual saying
that if a serious problem comes up you have to pretend (not to be Shincheonji). They
covered it up because they thought that would have created some trouble, because they
didn't want to reveal Shincheonji. The Memorandum said:"Don't talk about it anymore."
In response, Sincheonji said, "At the time, the leaders were overseas and all the
executives have been all replaced, making it difficult to confirm," but added, "Neither
the General Assembly nor the Tribes were involved."
Victim's mother: “How can people be like that? They ruin other people's families and
live happily. I really don't know how to solve this. This is too unfair.”
The bereaved families are considering to take legal action, demanding an official apology
from Shincheonji and the chairman Lee Man-hee.
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