The Netflix docuseries In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal will stun, shock, and horrify viewers as it heavily explores South Korean cult leaders. Leaders like JMS’s Jeong Myeong-seok, Park Soon-ja, Baby Garden, and Lee Jae-rock. Fair warning is needed as the series is hard to stomach due to graphic evidence, videos, and real-life victim testimony. Despite mixed reactions to In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal, director Cho Sung-hyun has plans for a Season 2.
The South Korean docuseries sparked outrage and boycotting
Docuseries based on the horrors and crimes of cult leaders are nothing new to audiences. But not many have been based on South Korean leaders who claim to be messiahs and prophets who used their followers for selfish greed. In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal dedicated three episodes to the JMS cult led by Jeong Myeong-seok.
Viewers will find that it is one of the most challenging cases. As a self-proclaimed messiah, Jeong had churches throughout Korea and thousands of followers. But behind his glory was a sexual predator who assaulted hundreds of young women in Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The most shocking aspect of the case is the details and the first-hand victim testimonies. In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal brings in Maple and got permission to use the recording of her assault.
The inhumanity continues as In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal explores the Five Oceans mass suicide case and its leader Park Soon-ja. There is also a fair warning before diving into the exploitation of Baby Garden followers, its child abuse, and murders. One of the last cult cases is of Lee Jae-rock, who was also accused of sexual crimes.
According to Koreaboo, the docuseries received backlash as many viewers could not get past the first 10 seconds. It opens with Maple’s recording of her assault. Viewers who are crime fans could also not stomach the series. But many have come to advocate for the series. It would raise awareness of the crimes, and some of its leaders are still in power. It has also led many to boycott Synnara Records, owned by Baby Garden leader Kim Ki-soon.
Docuseries director initially did not have plans for ‘In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal ‘ Season 2
The docuseries had a rough road getting made and premiered. When learning of Netflix’s plan to release In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal, JMS filed a suit to prevent it. They lost due to the evidence they provided not being enough to disprove the evidence collected by Netflix and its director. The JMS episodes also documented how Maple was stalked and threatened not to give her testimony.
After the docuseries premiere, director Cho Sung-hyun revealed he was inspired to do an In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal Season 2. According to Sportkeeda, “I didn’t have any plans of making a season 2 even when this show was first released, but I changed my mind when I saw people quitting the pseudo-religion after watching In The Name Of God: A Holy Betrayal.”
Director Cho is aware of the backlash the docuseries has received due to the intensive use of explicit evidence. But he explains it was vital to flesh out the multiple atrocities. “I am aware there is controversy regarding the se*ual content, but the important thing is that everything said is true. It was tough for us to listen to the content while gathering testimonies because the stories were so traumatizing,” he explained.
For him, the victims, and the crew, telling the truth at the forefront was vital. But what viewers saw in In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal was “one-tenth of reality.” Since the premiere, there have been multiple articles about celebrities and their link to the JMS church.
‘In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal ‘ Season 2 could explore the cult leaders who are still free
Five Oceans cult leader Park Soon-ja was one of the people who died during the mass suicide. But In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal raises the theory that Samwoo CEO Yoo Byeong-un was the real culprit. Despite suspicions, he was found not guilty and later died in the Sewol Ferry tragedy. Lae Jae-rock is also currently serving his prison sentence for the sexual assaults. His church refused to believe his guilt and await his return.
In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal Season 2 could further explore all the dark details that director Cho did not include. There is also the matter of Baby Garden leader Kim Ki-soon currently free. She returned to lead her church and is still CEO of the record company. A new season could flesh out what happened to her and the cult.
JMS still has multiple churches and followers throughout Korea. They, too, refused to accept that Jeong was guilty of his crimes. They actively try to prove his innocence. Jeong still faces court trials for sexual assault cases with foreign members in 2022.
How to get help: In the U.S., call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 or 1-800-273-8255. Or text HOME to 741-741 to speak with a trained crisis counselor at the free Crisis Text Line.
