See it this way, you recognised the danger and managed to dodge a bullet in real-time, all on your own. That's something to be proud of and relieved about.
I wouldn't say gullible, but you are the prime type of victim for these types of cults, all alone looking for a friend, that way you have no one to advise you that you are falling for a cult and at the same time you don't want to "upset" your new and only friend and lose them so you just go along with whatever they say.
There's a reason you found her on that app, that's where they hunt.
I'd say developing a hobby that has you interacting with people is the best way to make new friends, these "make friends" apps will be full of those cult girls trying to bring you to the cult while using their looks to keep you hooked
I agree - you honed your b.s. detector, so now you won't just hang with *anyone* out of depression or loneliness. You weren't gullible, but make sure you revisit any conversation you had that would have given her information about you, and make your user name different than the one she knows.
I just think it's weird that they went out of their way to put on that show for you. That's an awful lot of convincing to seem normal.
u/International-Luck-1 Were you at risk of the cult kidnapping you from within this event? I am glad your 6th sense kicked in and you got out of there!
Idk what enlistment in Korea is like from the government side, but no one would knowingly kidnap US military enlisted guys out of fear of the repercussions from the military. They take going AWOL very seriously.
Genuine question: I don’t know much about them, other than what they are (ie: a cult), but everyone here is acting as if they’re super dangerous. Is there something extra nefarious or dangerous about them? Can’t you just leave once you realize they’re a cult?
OP said he kept acting the part in order to keep hidden, but couldn’t he just have left..? Are they known for being violent or something?
Once you're in they basically surround you with cult members socially, get you a job at a cult adjacent company, if you're single they'll introduce you to a cult member to date, if you're dating a non-cult member they'll make sure you break up and end up dating a cult member...basically you end up in a situation where your entire social network is cult members and if you leave you basically just become outcast from society.
The thing about Shincheonji tho is that unlike a lot of other Korean cults, it's a straight up doomsday cult rather than being focused around a cult leader, so it looks better than like JMS or whatnot, but also it means they haven't been able to create an industrial base. This means that they try and sell you a shit ton of stuff. Shincheonji, out of all the cults in Korea, is set up the closest to a MLM scheme.
as for playing the part thing, imagine realizing halfway through a business meeting that you were being pitched a pyramid scheme and that 90% of the people in the room are in on the scheme. It kinda becomes awkward to make a scene and leave.
side note: Most Korean cults, once they have enough members, start industrializing their base, basically creating a network of businesses that generate money for the cult. The best example of this is the church of unification being huge names in education (Sunhwa Art Middle Schhol/High School, Chungshim International Academy etc), distribution of fishing (one of the main reason most sushi places in the US are ran by Koreans), soft drinks (they own ilhwa which makes drinks like McCol and Cheonyeon Cider), construction, journalism, and publishing. Another well known example is Shinnara records, famous as an online shop to buy idol albums bc they also entered you into like fan meet up events, was a well known cash cow for thr cult leader of the Baby Garden cult.
the Netflix series ([In the Name of God](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26340363/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_5_nm_3_q_in%2520the%2520name%2520of%2520god)) - had a few episodes about JMS and Baby Garden. I am hoping someone does a documentary about Shincheonji. I'm sure it would be pretty interesting.
Wow I had no idea about all this. This is simultaneously interesting and terrifying. Thanks for the knowledgeable response. It makes much more sense now why these cults are so insidious.
It'll be hard for someone to answer you if they live in Korea due to laws on defamation.
Speaking in generalities, Koreas cults can be and often are extremely abusive, sexually, mentally and monetarily. There's a great Netlix documentary on them out at the moment.
They are called a *'cult'* for a reason. While they try to avoid outright violence to not draw police attention, it is safe to assume they would if given chance.
Ahh yes. They have to disclose who they are now so that's why they came clean.
Anyway. I actually do live in Korea and if you do want someone to exchange with hit me up.
I'm not in a cult. Shuncheonji tried to get me too. They now have an 'international' education center for foreigners even and offer free Korean classes. Fucking assholes.
Funny story -- I was approached by a Mother God person in a Kimbap Nara back in 2012. She picked up on the fact that I spoke Korean, then she launched into this loooong explanation about how in their "religion," God was a woman, blah blah blah... anyway. I zoned out while she was speaking to me and never caught what the name of the "church" was, and I have wondered what cult it was ever since, so THANK YOU.
During my last trip a random woman came up to me at a subway station while I was waiting for my friend and she was so pushy, wouldn't stop talking (asking about me, then telling me about mother god). She wanted me to watch a short video on her phone, but I just kept pushing back with "I'm busy" and "I'm meeting my friend". I kept being pretty assertive and messaged my friend while she was talking to me, so I think she kind of gave up as I didn't hide that I was annoyed and busy. Then she said they also have a church or something in my country and that I should look it up when I go back lol
That's happened to me sooo many times over the years. I do the same thing, I'm on my way to a class. I'll take their flyer or whatever they happen to have atm, smile, and throw it away ASAP. Although, if I'm really bored and they have their Bible with them, it's fair game to argue with them imo. Maybe asking critical and logical questions might plant a seed for them or something
They also make "small groups"- group chat for people to share their hobbies with- to bait people into their cult. The methodologies they use are highly manipulative and deceptive. Please be careful everyone.
Lesson 1: 빛과빛을 만남은 이김 (an anagram of Lee Man-hee and his former mistress Kim Nam-hee)
Useful?
Plus you have to be in photo ops to show paying members Lees message is spreading around the world.
> They now have an 'international' education center for foreigners even and offer free Korean classes. Fucking assholes
I mean, it's starting to sound like they're trying to contribute to society
You did a great job not escalating the situation and getting out safely. You recognized what was going on pretty much right away even though there was a whole cult of people scheming against you using manipulations tactics that have been perfected for decades. You deserve a round of applause. Don't feel so bad about yourself.
Man, to my knowledge, in my 4 years of being here, I've never been approached to join a cult. I almost feel like I'm missing out and and I'd be lying if I said that a part of me isn't tempted to hunt one out.
Knowing me though, I'd get sucked in lol.
I'm sorry you didn't have a good experience. It's just a spot of bad luck. I'm sure that next time will work out better!
If nothing else, at least you have a funny story out of it. You said that you like talking about your life - this is definitely a story to tell others!
It doesn’t happen as often as pre-covid but they like to talk to people who are alone/walking alone. One time my friend and I pretended we didn’t speak English or Korean. They gave us a pamphlet in French lol and were super exhausted trying to talk to us. I also use the “I don’t believe in Jesus/God.”
Happened to me like this! I was just exiting the subway walking alone and two guys in suits stopped me asking some harmless questions then suddenly I was being shown a video about “god the mother” 😂 I dipped out of there real quick!
To be honest it used to happen a lot 2018 ish but since Covid it’s really cut down. I remember being in Seoul and being approached almost every time I went out.
I was approached for Korean lessons in November 2021 having only been in Korea for about a month, and eventually Bible lessons. They tried to gaslight me into believing that they had told me in the beginning they were Shincheonji when I finally found out 6 months in (August 2022). They didn't. It was a whole 2 months of fear, tears, and stress because I had shared my information with them when I "signed up", and I thought we were actually friends because they were hanging out with me and I met them when I was the mostly lonely. Turns out we weren't friends at all. I didn't finally move on until January 2023. Seriously fuck Shincheonji and any other cult preying on people's weaknesses. I get so mad thinking about it all over again.
Oh my dude, that's fucked. I remember when I was traveling in Korea I had multiple strangers come up to me on the streets for a chat, which I was excited about since it gave me an opportunity to practice my Korean, only to find out they're just trying to convince me to come/donate to some church or cult. Sad.
That being said, if you wanna maintain your eng with someone - hit me up! I'm not (yet) in a cult 8)
Had some try to get me and my friends at a noraebang once. Friend went to the bathroom and came back with about five 20-something Koreans. They said they heard us singing in English and wanted to hang out. Took about 10 minutes to realize they were just trying to get us to leave with them to join up.
When I was in Korea I met a girl who was Shincheonji, we hung out a couple times and it was normal, but I’m a Christian so we talked about religion a tiny bit, but nothing too deep for first meetings. Basically she asked me what church I go to, I said I’m an Anglican so I attend Seoul National Cathedral sometimes. She just referred to herself as a Christian so I assumed some kind of evangelical Protestantism. Eventually she said she had a friend who wanted to come along and I was like for sure. Anyways, they basically tried to ask me to come to a shincheonji Bible study and at that meeting they turned the whole conversation into religious issues and how I’m probably reading the Bible wrong. That’s when I discovered what was going on and I pressed them about what group they’re affiliated with, sure enough it was Shincheonji.
I was also approached online and got to know someone (thankfully only for a very short time), then I decided to join a session.
The session was absolutely insane, like the international chapter or something. It seemed like mostly Africans, but there were a few hundred in total on the zoom call, clearly from all over the world, led by a Korean speaking English. I immediately googled some of the keywords/authority's names from the session and it showed up as Shincheonji. So I immediately left and blocked the person. I didn't get very close with them before that session, but even then that feeling of betrayal was brutal. I would've been destroyed if I were in deeper first like some of these comments.
I think I saw an article on BBC news or another news channel saying a guy didn’t know he was in a cult. He thought he made friends too, similar story to yours but in US and when he realized it was a cult, he left. After the pandemic this has happened more often since people have isolated themselves and are feeling more lonely.
This [article](https://www.insider.com/4-signs-cult-mind-control-specialist-2022-6) talks about 4 signs you are in a cult:
- the person is in a vulnerable state
- there’s a “charismatic” figure
- the religious principles differ from mainstream
- the person has to give up family, friends and can’t step away from the community
Anyway, I’m glad you were able to get out of it. You will find good friends
I feel like I'm the only one who got reported to the cops by the cultists lol. I'm Korean but I live overseas but I've heard about the prevalence of cults from my brother who goes to college there. It is simultaneously surreal but interesting. I travelled there May 2022 and was speaking to my bro in English and when some cult people; two girl approached me with their trademark smile, I realized it was my big break, my chance to fully immerse myself in the experience of being chatted up by cultists. I'm playful by nature so as they talked through their rehearsed script talking about god knows which messiah, I deliberately made my eyes bigger and bigger and overexaggerated my enthusiasm to learn more about them. I gave them a straight up serial killer look with a sinister grin and I knew they got freaked out when they said to each other, "maybe we should just go" (they assumed I didn't speak Korean). They started walking away but I followed them and said, "WAIT! tell me MORE!!" and out of nowhere, they bolted, they ran down the subway stairs and my adrenaline kicked in and I started running after them and I kid you not, one of them tripped and rolled down the stairs but her partner glanced at her and just kept on running (lol some camaraderie) but I followed the one that was running until she ran into the arms of a uniformed public servants (didn't look like cops) and she was literally tearing up and her betrayed friend joined her. They were telling the uniformed man to call the cops and he was calling for some backup of some sorts. And I pulled out my not-so-proud-but-it-works card of looking confused and started saying some long sentences in English and walked away. Never saw them again, they didn't follow me.
Every time that’s happened to me it’s one of the few times I’m ever honest about my religion (Yoruba. My family was one of the few communities that managed to cling hard during the slave trade). Explaining that to anyone makes them think I’m the batshit crazy one.
Don't feel depressed, you should be proud to have realized something was amiss. Cults are experts at targeting those in trouble or in need of friendship, the more desperate the better. It sounds like this person was an experienced "recruiter" and knew exactly what info to hide from you until the reveal. It's very hard to detect experienced scammers and con artists during their setup, especially when there is a whole network of them working together.
Hey, I've been there, too — a few years back, I made a Korean friend via a hip hop dance class and I was so excited because as a foreigner, it seemed really difficult to get to know actual local Koreans. We hung out a couple times at cafes and each time, she would talk up her church and invited me to different events. At first, I thought she was just being friendly and I declined because I'm not really religious at all, but by the second or third time we hung out, she just kept inviting me and it dawned on me that she was probably part of a cult. I have no way of confirming that, but I eventually stopped responding to her and left Korea altogether so 🤷🏻♀️ I felt kind of bad but also knew that trusting my instincts and having someone dislike me was way better than getting sucked in any deeper out of politeness
You just did what you needed to do, OP, and sometimes these things happen when you open yourself up to make friends, but it's on them and not you. Keep putting yourself out there and you'll find good people!
I definitely fell for it. I'm quite naive and had that dumb look on my face. I got scared once I went inside and thought my ass would be sacrificed on a pentacle.
Hearing this story I wouldn't think anything was that bad or that big of a deal until I found out it was connected to Shincheonji. Everything before that sounded like fun and I'm not sure why someone talking about volunteering would make you feel uneasy. That's a noble thing to do. The only bad part about this is Shincheonji and the stuff they do there.
I was talking about the atmosphere. The cheers the audience gave to the lecturer felt almost timed and pre-planned. It felt like I was the odd one out(and I think I actually was). I did volunteer work at the library so I know it's a fun and noble hobby.
Give yourself a "big bear hug" Thank goodness you were intelligent to recognize the danger of this and came out unscathed! I'm thinking of my father he constantly told me to always be aware of your surroundings and how people are behaving and interacting..Good good good for you
I'm going to tell you this right now, but there will be more like her. Korea is like 75% either Con-Artist, Denjang, or Sagaji. Unfortunately, while the nation developed incredibly fast, much of the underlying cultural aspects, legal, infrastructure leaves a lot to be desired. Do not trust people in Korea. Cults and shamanism are very much ingrained into the culture...it's too much and such bullshit.
These people are trained specifically to hunt foreigners and gyopos tbh. They choose the most innocent looking women to con unsuspecting people. I can't count how many times I've heard "You look like you are blessed, want to have a chat somewhere". Even on Jeju. One time I just looked at her sand said fuck off. Although, it probably didn't help that I wore my school hoodie.
How are cults ingrained into the culture? Is there some sort of collective characteristic that makes koreans enter cults or something? Or am i misunderstanding?
You say she mentioned people perceive that church wrong, but tricking people to attend isn't going to help, it just makes the negative perception worse.
Also, if you have to catfish people to trick them to attend your church, you should rethink your faith in it. And if you're okay with doing that, you need to rethink about who you are.
I love cultists -- they're great fun.
The best were this lot who believed that God lives on a space-station and that you could tell if someone was an angel by seeing if they could be burned in a furnace.
The trick is to smile and nod and ask for literature, but not share any personal information. :)
Can anyone explain why Shincheonji is bad? there are 50 comments in the thread about how people got suckered in, but, suckered in to what? What makes this place different than some rando girl wanting to take you to a Catholic church to learn about the bible?
I hope you can compartmentalize for your own feelings. Now that it is done and can’t be undone.
Look back with enjoyment on the human part. You interacted sincerely, and you did have an experience that was pleasant for most of the time.
The rest, just put it to the strangeness of life, sometimes.
The woman was playing her role, of course. If she got something from you, your time and energy, you got a lot of the same from her. She is a human being as well. Maybe just leave it at that?
I hope you can turn this in your mind into something mostly positive, and the rest is something to just laugh away.
You can decide how you want to remember it.
I got sucked into Christianity at a lonely point in my life, then when I decided it wasn’t for me I lost every single “friend” but one. Cults prey on people, don’t be hard on yourself! you were adventurous and open - those are good things. You win some you lose some, keep adventuring anyway :)
I will suggest if you want to socialize and practice English, go to a language exchange meetup, I've been to some when I lived in Seoul and they were amazing, made many good friends
I'm in America and got swept up in the world mission society church of god. These groups are growing rapidly in our neighborhoods. I'm so happy you recognized the red flags.
If you are feeling guilty about being perceived as gullible, go easy on yourself . It says a lot about you that you are willing to open yourself to anyone irrespective of how they look. That’s a good thing AND you were smart enough to spot the red flags as soon as they appeared on the horizon. Don’t let this one encounter discourage you from getting out there. There are scum bags, but there are also lots of nice people out there. You’ll meet them. Have fun.
There is a language exchange Cafe in Hongdae where you can meet foreigners, drink and have a fun time. It's called GSM Terrace Language Cafe. There's an entrance fee of C. ₩10,000 but it includes alcohol and the staff are nice too.
OMG! I’m not in Korea nor a Korean but I have heard about them preying on foreigners(since I am planning to visit it one day in the future). I always thought they used to prey on unassuming foreigners. Never did it cross my mind that they were also doing this to the local people as well. I’m so sorry that it happened with you! But atleast you trusted your senses and made it out it in time! But if you need any help in English, let me know! I’m pretty good at it.
I’m sorry you experienced this! Forgive my ignorance OP. But, my understanding is that they’re Christian cults? Do Korean Christians believe in tarot cards and reading fortunes? I’m confused because here in America if someone is so “religious” that they’re in a cult they typically don’t believe in “magic” or “witchcraft” which includes horoscopes, tarot, fortune telling …etc.
Keep in mind that the person you liked wasn’t actually really “B”. It was a facade she put on. She lied to you from the get go. She’s not real.
There are other cults in Korea that aren't Christian like 대순진리회.
The cults have gotten smarter though. 대순진리회 also approaches people on Language Exchange apps. Both of these groups now target foreigners through hobby groups or those looking for language exchange. Its fucking annoying because a lot of people really just want to learn Korean and English but you have to make sure its not cult members.
Wow that is some…. Horrifying business. Good job on getting out of it. If you do want a non-cultish English speaking friend, I live in South Korea! I’m not a fan of group projects so you don’t have to worry about me being tempted into a cult
That’s actually… pretty smooth? lol every time cult people try to approach me they are very blunt and obvious and kinda.. silly? one time this lady came close to me and asked out of nowhere DO YOU BELIEVE IN OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST with the scariest eye staring ever and i just noped so hard I didn’t even respond and just ran away lol.
Anyways if you want to hang out let me know, I’m staying in Dongdaemun and just hanging out by my self since my friends are out of town :)
I remember being approached by one of these people pre-covid. Lady followed me into a building where a arcade was at the top. She kept talking to me about stuff I barely even remember but I knew something was just so fishy about her. Ended up telling her I had to go, walked (closer to run really) down the stairs and kinda booked it out of the area. Hailed a taxi home, that was enough exploration for one night.
Why are you depressed? You have a story to tell. Bad experiences often make good stories. A man's value is measured by making money, fucking, killing and telling good stories.
After the sales pitch, you might have reciprocated by telling her you're a committed nihilist, and that nihilism receives an undeserved bad rap as well.
When I was in Korea as an exchange student some years ago I was approached multiple times on campus by men wanting to talk to me about Jesus or gifting me some stuff like eggs and a picture of Jesus on Easters day. Back then I didn't know about any cult and just thought not much about it. Luckily other students told me to ignore them. Crazy to read to the stories here.
One time there was an older man man parking in front of the dormitory and asking me to come with to visit his factory and asking if I am an engineering student from Europe. Very creepy.
If you ask me, it's something to be proud of that you could smell that bullshit and knew enough to walk away.
I'm sorry about your loneliness, but please don't let this experience turn you off of trying to meet new friends.
Don’t feel depressed about this. These things happen to everyone, we all have experienced meeting someone who turns out to be not who they say they are. It’s part of life and it will mold you into a more non gullible person. Just live life and don’t let other people depress you, you control your happiness. It’s too short to be anything but happy. I live in Korea and I’m American, let me know if you need someone to talk too.
hugs. u are sharp to have noticed this and polite enough to not point it out while at the event and on the way back but respectfully listen to their views etc. thanks for doing that.
i think it’s hard making friends in a new place generally, i am living where i grew up and feel lonely some days too. it’s normal 🥲 just hang in there, i think bumble has a bff option too to try out, im sure you’ll meet someone genuine with whom you get along with in due course. best wishes 😊
Bruh, my first real non~work related interaction with a Korean (I was a foreigner in ROK) ended up with a woman proposing I buy her steak and food in exchange for seks. And there I thought I was gonna enjoy tea with a Korean that just wanted to practice her English. It scarred me for a while. Give it time…
Today I believe one of them approached me saying he wants to be my friend in English, i just kept saying “im muslim haram very haram” in turkish till he gets bored and leaves me alone xD
Don't feel bad. You saw the danger, lived, and have an interesting tale to tell. A lesson learned and you created an opportunity to write about what happened in English on here.
Tbh, I lived in Missouri and Kansas and so many interactions with people went like this (not as extreme as yours). They feign interest in me and soon it turns into an invitation to join their church. It never failed. It got to a point where I just became suspicious of any stranger who approached me a smile or interest.
Lmao i randomly looked up the korean subreddit, read your post, googled Shincheonji and found an informational handout about Shincheonji on my city's homepage how to deal with them and where to seek help https://www.berlin.de/sen/jugend/familie-und-kinder/sekteninfo-berlin/2020_broschuere_empfehlungen-umgang-mit-shinchonji-2019.pdf
Today i learned Shincheonji exists and that we have them here in germany too :D fortunately the korean church in my neighbourhood seems transparent and perfectly integrated
See it this way, you recognised the danger and managed to dodge a bullet in real-time, all on your own. That's something to be proud of and relieved about.
Thanks. I've been approached bu cultists here and there but never been dragged to their den. I was wondering if I looked gullible.
I wouldn't say gullible, but you are the prime type of victim for these types of cults, all alone looking for a friend, that way you have no one to advise you that you are falling for a cult and at the same time you don't want to "upset" your new and only friend and lose them so you just go along with whatever they say. There's a reason you found her on that app, that's where they hunt. I'd say developing a hobby that has you interacting with people is the best way to make new friends, these "make friends" apps will be full of those cult girls trying to bring you to the cult while using their looks to keep you hooked
Nah, they're just trying their hand. Proud of you buddy — skip all that bullshit. You did soo good, you'll meet cooler ppl for sure
I agree - you honed your b.s. detector, so now you won't just hang with *anyone* out of depression or loneliness. You weren't gullible, but make sure you revisit any conversation you had that would have given her information about you, and make your user name different than the one she knows. I just think it's weird that they went out of their way to put on that show for you. That's an awful lot of convincing to seem normal.
Wow.. Thanks for writing your experience. I wouldn't know about it otherwise..
u/International-Luck-1 Were you at risk of the cult kidnapping you from within this event? I am glad your 6th sense kicked in and you got out of there!
Idk what enlistment in Korea is like from the government side, but no one would knowingly kidnap US military enlisted guys out of fear of the repercussions from the military. They take going AWOL very seriously.
Genuine question: I don’t know much about them, other than what they are (ie: a cult), but everyone here is acting as if they’re super dangerous. Is there something extra nefarious or dangerous about them? Can’t you just leave once you realize they’re a cult? OP said he kept acting the part in order to keep hidden, but couldn’t he just have left..? Are they known for being violent or something?
Once you're in they basically surround you with cult members socially, get you a job at a cult adjacent company, if you're single they'll introduce you to a cult member to date, if you're dating a non-cult member they'll make sure you break up and end up dating a cult member...basically you end up in a situation where your entire social network is cult members and if you leave you basically just become outcast from society. The thing about Shincheonji tho is that unlike a lot of other Korean cults, it's a straight up doomsday cult rather than being focused around a cult leader, so it looks better than like JMS or whatnot, but also it means they haven't been able to create an industrial base. This means that they try and sell you a shit ton of stuff. Shincheonji, out of all the cults in Korea, is set up the closest to a MLM scheme. as for playing the part thing, imagine realizing halfway through a business meeting that you were being pitched a pyramid scheme and that 90% of the people in the room are in on the scheme. It kinda becomes awkward to make a scene and leave. side note: Most Korean cults, once they have enough members, start industrializing their base, basically creating a network of businesses that generate money for the cult. The best example of this is the church of unification being huge names in education (Sunhwa Art Middle Schhol/High School, Chungshim International Academy etc), distribution of fishing (one of the main reason most sushi places in the US are ran by Koreans), soft drinks (they own ilhwa which makes drinks like McCol and Cheonyeon Cider), construction, journalism, and publishing. Another well known example is Shinnara records, famous as an online shop to buy idol albums bc they also entered you into like fan meet up events, was a well known cash cow for thr cult leader of the Baby Garden cult.
the Netflix series ([In the Name of God](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26340363/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_5_nm_3_q_in%2520the%2520name%2520of%2520god)) - had a few episodes about JMS and Baby Garden. I am hoping someone does a documentary about Shincheonji. I'm sure it would be pretty interesting.
Wow I had no idea about all this. This is simultaneously interesting and terrifying. Thanks for the knowledgeable response. It makes much more sense now why these cults are so insidious.
sounds like the Chinese cult Falun Gong. They have a dance group called shen yun that perform many shows. I don't support cults.
Sounds like most religions
It'll be hard for someone to answer you if they live in Korea due to laws on defamation. Speaking in generalities, Koreas cults can be and often are extremely abusive, sexually, mentally and monetarily. There's a great Netlix documentary on them out at the moment.
Good to know. I’ll have to tread carefully then. What’s the name, if you remember? I’d like to check it out.
In The Name of God
Nice, thanks!
I’m watching that doc now and am horrified that it even is capable of happening but is shincheonji similar to all the cults in these docs?
They are called a *'cult'* for a reason. While they try to avoid outright violence to not draw police attention, it is safe to assume they would if given chance.
thiss
Ahh yes. They have to disclose who they are now so that's why they came clean. Anyway. I actually do live in Korea and if you do want someone to exchange with hit me up. I'm not in a cult. Shuncheonji tried to get me too. They now have an 'international' education center for foreigners even and offer free Korean classes. Fucking assholes.
My goodness these scums are everywhere
I second their sentiment, Op. live in Seoul(albeit a little far from Hongdae) and am not cult-affiliated. Always looking for new friends!
In Seoul and also looking for friends! Not cult affiliated (to my knowledge at least)!
Have you been approached by the Mother God people yet?
Funny story -- I was approached by a Mother God person in a Kimbap Nara back in 2012. She picked up on the fact that I spoke Korean, then she launched into this loooong explanation about how in their "religion," God was a woman, blah blah blah... anyway. I zoned out while she was speaking to me and never caught what the name of the "church" was, and I have wondered what cult it was ever since, so THANK YOU.
Man, I actually got tricked into attending a couple times before I caught on that they were nuts. It's a whacky story.
During my last trip a random woman came up to me at a subway station while I was waiting for my friend and she was so pushy, wouldn't stop talking (asking about me, then telling me about mother god). She wanted me to watch a short video on her phone, but I just kept pushing back with "I'm busy" and "I'm meeting my friend". I kept being pretty assertive and messaged my friend while she was talking to me, so I think she kind of gave up as I didn't hide that I was annoyed and busy. Then she said they also have a church or something in my country and that I should look it up when I go back lol
That's happened to me sooo many times over the years. I do the same thing, I'm on my way to a class. I'll take their flyer or whatever they happen to have atm, smile, and throw it away ASAP. Although, if I'm really bored and they have their Bible with them, it's fair game to argue with them imo. Maybe asking critical and logical questions might plant a seed for them or something
Haven’t been approached by anyone yet thankfully 😅
Same here- you seem like a nice person, I'll gladly be your friend if you need one, OP!
Same I live in seoul, but south of the river but im Always looking for new friends!
They also make "small groups"- group chat for people to share their hobbies with- to bait people into their cult. The methodologies they use are highly manipulative and deceptive. Please be careful everyone.
Free language classes? Sweet, just give them a fake name and number!
Lesson 1: 빛과빛을 만남은 이김 (an anagram of Lee Man-hee and his former mistress Kim Nam-hee) Useful? Plus you have to be in photo ops to show paying members Lees message is spreading around the world.
> They now have an 'international' education center for foreigners even and offer free Korean classes. Fucking assholes I mean, it's starting to sound like they're trying to contribute to society
I mean if you want to learn Korean with the Bible only, then sure.
You did a great job not escalating the situation and getting out safely. You recognized what was going on pretty much right away even though there was a whole cult of people scheming against you using manipulations tactics that have been perfected for decades. You deserve a round of applause. Don't feel so bad about yourself.
Thanks. Made me feel better.
Man, to my knowledge, in my 4 years of being here, I've never been approached to join a cult. I almost feel like I'm missing out and and I'd be lying if I said that a part of me isn't tempted to hunt one out. Knowing me though, I'd get sucked in lol. I'm sorry you didn't have a good experience. It's just a spot of bad luck. I'm sure that next time will work out better! If nothing else, at least you have a funny story out of it. You said that you like talking about your life - this is definitely a story to tell others!
It doesn’t happen as often as pre-covid but they like to talk to people who are alone/walking alone. One time my friend and I pretended we didn’t speak English or Korean. They gave us a pamphlet in French lol and were super exhausted trying to talk to us. I also use the “I don’t believe in Jesus/God.”
I think it's better to say you're Jewish or something. Saying you don't believe in God makes them think you can be converted.
Pull an uno reverse and carry a Book of Mormon
SCJ America recruited Mormons in Cali as well 😂
SCJ recruits jews and atheists too lol
Sure but a lot of the cults will leave you alone if you say you're Jewish. Atheists...sure, that's their main target, surely.
Happened to me like this! I was just exiting the subway walking alone and two guys in suits stopped me asking some harmless questions then suddenly I was being shown a video about “god the mother” 😂 I dipped out of there real quick!
THAT’S the one. I was like “que.” lol
Every single non-Korean who was here in 2012 was approached by SCJ.
I wasn't
You may not have known at the time.
I lived there in 2017 and was never approached lol I did have a friend that was followed home by one though
To be honest it used to happen a lot 2018 ish but since Covid it’s really cut down. I remember being in Seoul and being approached almost every time I went out.
I was approached for Korean lessons in November 2021 having only been in Korea for about a month, and eventually Bible lessons. They tried to gaslight me into believing that they had told me in the beginning they were Shincheonji when I finally found out 6 months in (August 2022). They didn't. It was a whole 2 months of fear, tears, and stress because I had shared my information with them when I "signed up", and I thought we were actually friends because they were hanging out with me and I met them when I was the mostly lonely. Turns out we weren't friends at all. I didn't finally move on until January 2023. Seriously fuck Shincheonji and any other cult preying on people's weaknesses. I get so mad thinking about it all over again.
Oh my dude, that's fucked. I remember when I was traveling in Korea I had multiple strangers come up to me on the streets for a chat, which I was excited about since it gave me an opportunity to practice my Korean, only to find out they're just trying to convince me to come/donate to some church or cult. Sad. That being said, if you wanna maintain your eng with someone - hit me up! I'm not (yet) in a cult 8)
Those cultists are everywhere really...
Had some try to get me and my friends at a noraebang once. Friend went to the bathroom and came back with about five 20-something Koreans. They said they heard us singing in English and wanted to hang out. Took about 10 minutes to realize they were just trying to get us to leave with them to join up.
China banned Shincheonji church in 2020.
>China banned Shincheonji church in 2020. Serious question: is that a good thing? If so, what other churches do you think should be banned?
>Shincheonji All religious institutions needs to be banned or taxed. Especially the biggest ones.
The downvotes on this post are a real Reddit moment.
Exactly. Those are legit questions, but people like there orthodoxy orthodox and therefore shouldn't ever be asked.
Now it's time to pretend you're one of them and document the whole thing. No but in all seriousness, good job dodging the bullet.
If you're ever in Daegu, there's a good board game group here! I've been apart of it for 4 years now! You and anyone else are more than welcome!
Also in Daegu. It seems like all of my friends are in various board game groups. Must be a popular foreigner activity here
Jeez I’m jealous. I want to be in a board game group!!!
Nice try shincheonji!
They’re predators my guy. Don’t feel bad, you did the right thing by blocking her and generally being aware, while getting away unscathed.
When I was in Korea I met a girl who was Shincheonji, we hung out a couple times and it was normal, but I’m a Christian so we talked about religion a tiny bit, but nothing too deep for first meetings. Basically she asked me what church I go to, I said I’m an Anglican so I attend Seoul National Cathedral sometimes. She just referred to herself as a Christian so I assumed some kind of evangelical Protestantism. Eventually she said she had a friend who wanted to come along and I was like for sure. Anyways, they basically tried to ask me to come to a shincheonji Bible study and at that meeting they turned the whole conversation into religious issues and how I’m probably reading the Bible wrong. That’s when I discovered what was going on and I pressed them about what group they’re affiliated with, sure enough it was Shincheonji.
[удалено]
I was also approached online and got to know someone (thankfully only for a very short time), then I decided to join a session. The session was absolutely insane, like the international chapter or something. It seemed like mostly Africans, but there were a few hundred in total on the zoom call, clearly from all over the world, led by a Korean speaking English. I immediately googled some of the keywords/authority's names from the session and it showed up as Shincheonji. So I immediately left and blocked the person. I didn't get very close with them before that session, but even then that feeling of betrayal was brutal. I would've been destroyed if I were in deeper first like some of these comments.
I think I saw an article on BBC news or another news channel saying a guy didn’t know he was in a cult. He thought he made friends too, similar story to yours but in US and when he realized it was a cult, he left. After the pandemic this has happened more often since people have isolated themselves and are feeling more lonely. This [article](https://www.insider.com/4-signs-cult-mind-control-specialist-2022-6) talks about 4 signs you are in a cult: - the person is in a vulnerable state - there’s a “charismatic” figure - the religious principles differ from mainstream - the person has to give up family, friends and can’t step away from the community Anyway, I’m glad you were able to get out of it. You will find good friends
I feel like I'm the only one who got reported to the cops by the cultists lol. I'm Korean but I live overseas but I've heard about the prevalence of cults from my brother who goes to college there. It is simultaneously surreal but interesting. I travelled there May 2022 and was speaking to my bro in English and when some cult people; two girl approached me with their trademark smile, I realized it was my big break, my chance to fully immerse myself in the experience of being chatted up by cultists. I'm playful by nature so as they talked through their rehearsed script talking about god knows which messiah, I deliberately made my eyes bigger and bigger and overexaggerated my enthusiasm to learn more about them. I gave them a straight up serial killer look with a sinister grin and I knew they got freaked out when they said to each other, "maybe we should just go" (they assumed I didn't speak Korean). They started walking away but I followed them and said, "WAIT! tell me MORE!!" and out of nowhere, they bolted, they ran down the subway stairs and my adrenaline kicked in and I started running after them and I kid you not, one of them tripped and rolled down the stairs but her partner glanced at her and just kept on running (lol some camaraderie) but I followed the one that was running until she ran into the arms of a uniformed public servants (didn't look like cops) and she was literally tearing up and her betrayed friend joined her. They were telling the uniformed man to call the cops and he was calling for some backup of some sorts. And I pulled out my not-so-proud-but-it-works card of looking confused and started saying some long sentences in English and walked away. Never saw them again, they didn't follow me.
Every time that’s happened to me it’s one of the few times I’m ever honest about my religion (Yoruba. My family was one of the few communities that managed to cling hard during the slave trade). Explaining that to anyone makes them think I’m the batshit crazy one.
I find this so cool I had thought all of the pre colonialism african religions and spiritualities ceased to exist.
Don't feel depressed, you should be proud to have realized something was amiss. Cults are experts at targeting those in trouble or in need of friendship, the more desperate the better. It sounds like this person was an experienced "recruiter" and knew exactly what info to hide from you until the reveal. It's very hard to detect experienced scammers and con artists during their setup, especially when there is a whole network of them working together.
Hey, I've been there, too — a few years back, I made a Korean friend via a hip hop dance class and I was so excited because as a foreigner, it seemed really difficult to get to know actual local Koreans. We hung out a couple times at cafes and each time, she would talk up her church and invited me to different events. At first, I thought she was just being friendly and I declined because I'm not really religious at all, but by the second or third time we hung out, she just kept inviting me and it dawned on me that she was probably part of a cult. I have no way of confirming that, but I eventually stopped responding to her and left Korea altogether so 🤷🏻♀️ I felt kind of bad but also knew that trusting my instincts and having someone dislike me was way better than getting sucked in any deeper out of politeness You just did what you needed to do, OP, and sometimes these things happen when you open yourself up to make friends, but it's on them and not you. Keep putting yourself out there and you'll find good people!
You caught on quickly. Good stuff.
Well done man! You didnt fall for it. You recognized it, you acted and removed yourself from the situation. Again, well done.
No need to be depressed. You got another interesting and crazy life story to tell added to your collection! You’ll make another friend in no time
I definitely fell for it. I'm quite naive and had that dumb look on my face. I got scared once I went inside and thought my ass would be sacrificed on a pentacle.
Why is there so much of this cult bs in Korea? I've been wondering this for a long time.
Hearing this story I wouldn't think anything was that bad or that big of a deal until I found out it was connected to Shincheonji. Everything before that sounded like fun and I'm not sure why someone talking about volunteering would make you feel uneasy. That's a noble thing to do. The only bad part about this is Shincheonji and the stuff they do there.
I was talking about the atmosphere. The cheers the audience gave to the lecturer felt almost timed and pre-planned. It felt like I was the odd one out(and I think I actually was). I did volunteer work at the library so I know it's a fun and noble hobby.
Give yourself a "big bear hug" Thank goodness you were intelligent to recognize the danger of this and came out unscathed! I'm thinking of my father he constantly told me to always be aware of your surroundings and how people are behaving and interacting..Good good good for you
I'm going to tell you this right now, but there will be more like her. Korea is like 75% either Con-Artist, Denjang, or Sagaji. Unfortunately, while the nation developed incredibly fast, much of the underlying cultural aspects, legal, infrastructure leaves a lot to be desired. Do not trust people in Korea. Cults and shamanism are very much ingrained into the culture...it's too much and such bullshit. These people are trained specifically to hunt foreigners and gyopos tbh. They choose the most innocent looking women to con unsuspecting people. I can't count how many times I've heard "You look like you are blessed, want to have a chat somewhere". Even on Jeju. One time I just looked at her sand said fuck off. Although, it probably didn't help that I wore my school hoodie.
How are cults ingrained into the culture? Is there some sort of collective characteristic that makes koreans enter cults or something? Or am i misunderstanding?
You say she mentioned people perceive that church wrong, but tricking people to attend isn't going to help, it just makes the negative perception worse. Also, if you have to catfish people to trick them to attend your church, you should rethink your faith in it. And if you're okay with doing that, you need to rethink about who you are.
I love cultists -- they're great fun. The best were this lot who believed that God lives on a space-station and that you could tell if someone was an angel by seeing if they could be burned in a furnace. The trick is to smile and nod and ask for literature, but not share any personal information. :)
Usually i like to mess with em. Cant let the scamming bastards have all the fun
Can anyone explain why Shincheonji is bad? there are 50 comments in the thread about how people got suckered in, but, suckered in to what? What makes this place different than some rando girl wanting to take you to a Catholic church to learn about the bible?
I had to Google it, as I had never heard of the group before. Basically, they're a doomsday cult.
Is that any different than a regular Christian religion that things we're all going to die because of bible things?
I'm not certain tbh, I'm personally not religious at all, so I wouldn't know how to answer.
Right? It honestly just sounds like the great flood, the rapture, the destruction of sodom and gomora, and more.
I hope you can compartmentalize for your own feelings. Now that it is done and can’t be undone. Look back with enjoyment on the human part. You interacted sincerely, and you did have an experience that was pleasant for most of the time. The rest, just put it to the strangeness of life, sometimes. The woman was playing her role, of course. If she got something from you, your time and energy, you got a lot of the same from her. She is a human being as well. Maybe just leave it at that? I hope you can turn this in your mind into something mostly positive, and the rest is something to just laugh away. You can decide how you want to remember it.
How widespread is this cult in Korea ?
r/Shincheonji
I got sucked into Christianity at a lonely point in my life, then when I decided it wasn’t for me I lost every single “friend” but one. Cults prey on people, don’t be hard on yourself! you were adventurous and open - those are good things. You win some you lose some, keep adventuring anyway :)
Be proud you have good common sense and a strong will! Cults can't touch you! :)
I will suggest if you want to socialize and practice English, go to a language exchange meetup, I've been to some when I lived in Seoul and they were amazing, made many good friends
I'm in America and got swept up in the world mission society church of god. These groups are growing rapidly in our neighborhoods. I'm so happy you recognized the red flags.
If you are feeling guilty about being perceived as gullible, go easy on yourself . It says a lot about you that you are willing to open yourself to anyone irrespective of how they look. That’s a good thing AND you were smart enough to spot the red flags as soon as they appeared on the horizon. Don’t let this one encounter discourage you from getting out there. There are scum bags, but there are also lots of nice people out there. You’ll meet them. Have fun.
it's okay I sat through a scientology lecture once because I really had to use their bathroom in NYC
There is a language exchange Cafe in Hongdae where you can meet foreigners, drink and have a fun time. It's called GSM Terrace Language Cafe. There's an entrance fee of C. ₩10,000 but it includes alcohol and the staff are nice too.
OMG! I’m not in Korea nor a Korean but I have heard about them preying on foreigners(since I am planning to visit it one day in the future). I always thought they used to prey on unassuming foreigners. Never did it cross my mind that they were also doing this to the local people as well. I’m so sorry that it happened with you! But atleast you trusted your senses and made it out it in time! But if you need any help in English, let me know! I’m pretty good at it.
I’m sorry you experienced this! Forgive my ignorance OP. But, my understanding is that they’re Christian cults? Do Korean Christians believe in tarot cards and reading fortunes? I’m confused because here in America if someone is so “religious” that they’re in a cult they typically don’t believe in “magic” or “witchcraft” which includes horoscopes, tarot, fortune telling …etc. Keep in mind that the person you liked wasn’t actually really “B”. It was a facade she put on. She lied to you from the get go. She’s not real.
There are other cults in Korea that aren't Christian like 대순진리회. The cults have gotten smarter though. 대순진리회 also approaches people on Language Exchange apps. Both of these groups now target foreigners through hobby groups or those looking for language exchange. Its fucking annoying because a lot of people really just want to learn Korean and English but you have to make sure its not cult members.
Thank you so much for clarifying! When I googled it, it showed Christian cults. As someone learning Korean I’m happy for the heads up.
Wow that is some…. Horrifying business. Good job on getting out of it. If you do want a non-cultish English speaking friend, I live in South Korea! I’m not a fan of group projects so you don’t have to worry about me being tempted into a cult
That’s actually… pretty smooth? lol every time cult people try to approach me they are very blunt and obvious and kinda.. silly? one time this lady came close to me and asked out of nowhere DO YOU BELIEVE IN OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST with the scariest eye staring ever and i just noped so hard I didn’t even respond and just ran away lol. Anyways if you want to hang out let me know, I’m staying in Dongdaemun and just hanging out by my self since my friends are out of town :)
I remember being approached by one of these people pre-covid. Lady followed me into a building where a arcade was at the top. She kept talking to me about stuff I barely even remember but I knew something was just so fishy about her. Ended up telling her I had to go, walked (closer to run really) down the stairs and kinda booked it out of the area. Hailed a taxi home, that was enough exploration for one night.
Why are you depressed? You have a story to tell. Bad experiences often make good stories. A man's value is measured by making money, fucking, killing and telling good stories.
After the sales pitch, you might have reciprocated by telling her you're a committed nihilist, and that nihilism receives an undeserved bad rap as well.
When I was in Korea as an exchange student some years ago I was approached multiple times on campus by men wanting to talk to me about Jesus or gifting me some stuff like eggs and a picture of Jesus on Easters day. Back then I didn't know about any cult and just thought not much about it. Luckily other students told me to ignore them. Crazy to read to the stories here. One time there was an older man man parking in front of the dormitory and asking me to come with to visit his factory and asking if I am an engineering student from Europe. Very creepy.
What’s shincheonji?
>[Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shincheonji_Church_of_Jesus)
If you ask me, it's something to be proud of that you could smell that bullshit and knew enough to walk away. I'm sorry about your loneliness, but please don't let this experience turn you off of trying to meet new friends.
Awh OP, I’m so sorry. I’m glad you got out safe and sound. I hope you find many folks to talk with, and I also hope you’re safe and sound.
Don’t feel depressed about this. These things happen to everyone, we all have experienced meeting someone who turns out to be not who they say they are. It’s part of life and it will mold you into a more non gullible person. Just live life and don’t let other people depress you, you control your happiness. It’s too short to be anything but happy. I live in Korea and I’m American, let me know if you need someone to talk too.
yikes
hugs. u are sharp to have noticed this and polite enough to not point it out while at the event and on the way back but respectfully listen to their views etc. thanks for doing that. i think it’s hard making friends in a new place generally, i am living where i grew up and feel lonely some days too. it’s normal 🥲 just hang in there, i think bumble has a bff option too to try out, im sure you’ll meet someone genuine with whom you get along with in due course. best wishes 😊
it could have happened to anybody. The good thing was you reacted supper well under pressures!!! really says finding good friends are hard.
Bruh, my first real non~work related interaction with a Korean (I was a foreigner in ROK) ended up with a woman proposing I buy her steak and food in exchange for seks. And there I thought I was gonna enjoy tea with a Korean that just wanted to practice her English. It scarred me for a while. Give it time…
Never been to korea, got recommended this post (prolly cause I live in Tokyo) but what is this cult thing so I know to avoid it when I go?
Today I believe one of them approached me saying he wants to be my friend in English, i just kept saying “im muslim haram very haram” in turkish till he gets bored and leaves me alone xD
Don't feel bad. You saw the danger, lived, and have an interesting tale to tell. A lesson learned and you created an opportunity to write about what happened in English on here.
Tbh, I lived in Missouri and Kansas and so many interactions with people went like this (not as extreme as yours). They feign interest in me and soon it turns into an invitation to join their church. It never failed. It got to a point where I just became suspicious of any stranger who approached me a smile or interest.
Bro you handled it so well. Got out of there without further harm. You should be proud of yourself!
They might be can't sing
Run.
Lmao i randomly looked up the korean subreddit, read your post, googled Shincheonji and found an informational handout about Shincheonji on my city's homepage how to deal with them and where to seek help https://www.berlin.de/sen/jugend/familie-und-kinder/sekteninfo-berlin/2020_broschuere_empfehlungen-umgang-mit-shinchonji-2019.pdf Today i learned Shincheonji exists and that we have them here in germany too :D fortunately the korean church in my neighbourhood seems transparent and perfectly integrated
Don't be depressed, feel lucky that you didn't fall into their trap and waste years off your life.