JMS Leader Jeong Myeong-seok Appeals 23-Year Sentence for Sexual Offenses

Daejeon, South Korea – Jeong Myeong-seok, the leader of the controversial religious group Jesus Morning Star (JMS), has filed an appeal against his recent 23-year prison sentence for sexual assault and molestation.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Jeong submitted his appeal to the Daejeon District Court on Friday, challenging the court’s decision to imprison him for 23 years. He was convicted of raping and sexually assaulting two female followers of foreign nationality and a South Korean female follower between February 2018 and September 2021. In a prior court hearing, prosecutors had sought a 30-year sentence for Jeong, but they have not filed an appeal. Jeong, who claims to be the Messiah or the second coming of Jesus, was previously released in 2018 after serving a 10-year sentence for raping multiple female followers and embezzling funds from JMS.