SEOUL — The legal battles surrounding the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS) have taken another complex turn. The appellate review for Jeong Myeong-seok—the 81-year-old leader currently serving a 17-year prison term who was recently handed an additional 33-year sentence for systemic sexual abuse—has returned to the exact same high court panel that previously stirred public backlash over leaked evidence.

According to judicial authorities, the Daejeon High Court’s Criminal Division 3 has been assigned to hear Jeong's appeal concerning his latest conviction. This separate case involves allegations that Jeong manipulated 16 female followers into psychological submission by claiming to be a divine entity between 2018 and 2022.

The assignment has immediately reignited past controversies. The same tribunal presided over an earlier appeal in which it authorized the duplication of audio files containing detailed accounts of the abuse suffered by Maple, a prominent Hong Kong-born victim. The decision led to accusations of file leaks and severe secondary trauma for the victim, drawing intense bipartisan criticism during a parliamentary audit of the court last year. Although the presiding judge remains on the bench, the two associate judges have been replaced.

Concurrently, financial penalties are catching up to the movement's inner circle. The Suwon District Court has officially ordered the seizure of prison deposit funds belonging to Kim Ji-sun, a high-ranking JMS official serving a seven-year sentence for complicity in sex crimes.

The seizure order, valued at roughly 37.84 million won, was enacted following an application by Maple. A civil court previously ruled that Jeong, Kim, and the religious organization collectively owe the victim substantial damages, totaling 250 million won, with Kim personally liable for a portion of that sum. Under the court's provisional execution order, the seizure target covers Kim’s current cash balance, future monetary deposits, and labor incentives earned within the correctional facility.

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