After being forwarded to prosecution for his documentary 'In The Name of God: A Holy Betrayal', producer Jo Sung Hyun insists that he will 'keep on fighting'

AKP STAFF

Earlier this month on August 14 KST, producer Jo Sung Hyun of the Netflix documentary series 'In The Name of God: A Holy Betrayal' was forward to the Seoul Western District Prosecutor's Office on charges of violating Laws Against Sexual Violence Crimes. Previously, representatives of the religious cult JMS (also known as Providence), one of the cults featured in Jo's documentary, reported the producer for "illegally distributing footage of JMS followers' nude bodies".

According to article 14 of the Laws Against Sexual Violence Crimes, those who commit sexual violence crimes by distributing footage of certain individuals that can cause sexual humiliation, against the will of the individuals involved, as well as those who distribute such footage for profit, will be punished. Based on this article, JMS is accusing Jo Sung Hyun PD of committing sexual violence crimes against the church's female followers without consent.

Currently, the recent news that Jo Sung Hyun PD's case has been forwarded to prosecution is stirring up outrage among Korean netizens, as many believe that the police are agreeing with JMS's claims that the Netflix documentary violated the Laws Against Sexual Violence Crimes, and that Jo Sung Hyun PD distributed this footage for profit.

In response, Jo Sung Hyun PD told media outlets on August 20, "The footage that the Mapo Police found problematic in the documentary completely blurred out the face of the woman shown, making the individual unrecognizable. Even before the documentary's release, JMS persistently claimed that this footage, obtained by the documentary staff, was fabricated. Thus, the woman's body was not blurred out in the documentary for the purpose of calling out the atrocities committed by this religious cult."

Jo Sung Hyun added on, "'In The Name of God: A Holy Betrayal' was released after undergoing an official review by The Korea Media Rating Board. When JMS filed a petition requesting for the prohibition of this documentary's distribution, the court rejected the petition and admitted that this documentary was created to serve the public's interest."

As Jo mentioned, petitions filed by both JMS and another cult, Agadongsan, requesting for the banning of this documentary's distribution were both rejected by the court shortly after its release on Netflix.

Furthermore, Jo PD insisted, "The Seoul Mapo Police seems to believe that the documentary 'In The Name of God' was more harmful to the private interests of JMS followers than it was helpful to the public interest of the Korean people. By forwarding this case to prosecution, they are accusing me of being a sexual offender, and the documentary of being pornographic material. Based on the police's views, the presidential recognition awarded to 'In The Name of God' at the '2023 Korea Contents Awards' recognized pornographic material for advancing Korea's broadcasting and film industry."

Finally, Jo Sung Hyun PD relayed, "Regardless of the police's decision, I will keep on fighting. Soon, society will find out who attempted to conceal the truth and what truth they so wished to conceal."