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| A scene of mass-suicide from the 1987 Odaeyang accident, involving 32 handicraft factory workers, all of whom were believers of a heathen cult Guwon. The religion is shared by more than 90 percent of employees of Chonghaejin Marine, which owns the sunken ferry Sewol. |
By Ko Dong-hwan The sunken ferry Sewol's captain and sailors arrested for dereliction of their duty of rescuing passengers were confirmed as believers of a heathen cult known as Guwon (Korean for "salvation").KBS's "News 9" broadcasted Tuesday in an interview with a former employee of Chonghaejin Marine, a ferry transportation company which owns Sewol.He said more than 90 percent of the company employees are Guwon believers, including the company owner Yoo Byung-eun. He added captain Lee Joon-seok had become a devout believer after he landed his job at the company.Guwon cult's doctrine inculcates that those who were once saved by God are completely detached from the sins they will ever commit in the future and guaranteed a path to heaven.The General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in Korea defined Guwon as a pagan branch, forcing the cult to establish their own religious foothold, The Evangelical Baptist Church.Guwon previously made headlines in August 1987, when 32 corpses were discovered on a ceiling of a handicraft factory in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, which was a property of a company called Odaeyang. Police investigation had revealed the company was crushed with 17 billion won worth of private loans.The victims, including its president Park Sun-ja, committed group suicide. They were all identified as believers of Guwon. 
청해진해운 직원 상당수가 구원파(기독교복음치례회) 신도였다는 소식이 전해진 가운데, 현재까지 활동 중인 연예인 신도 실명이 버젓이 공개돼 충격을 주고 있다.
KBS '뉴스9'은 지난 22일 청해진해운 전 직원과의 인터뷰를 통해 '구원파의 핵심 인물로 알려진 청해진해운 실소유주 유병언 전 세모그룹 회장을 비롯해 청해진해운 직원 상당수가 이 종교단체의 신도다'라고 밝혔다.
이날 방송에서 청해진해운의 전 직원은 '90% 이상의 직원이 구원파 신도라고 볼 수 있다. 세월호 운항 책임자였던 이준석 선장도 입사 이후 독실한 구원파 신자가 됐다'고 말했다.
또한 연예계 유명인사 다수도 구원파라는 사실이 알려지며 네티즌들의 뜨거운 관심을 받았다.
구원파는 '죄를 깨닫기만 하면 구원받을 수 있고 한번 영혼의 구원을 받으면 육신은 자연히 구원된다'고 주장하는 단체. 대한예수교장로회는 1992년 총회에서 구원파를 이단으로 규정했다.
구원파는 지난 1987년 오대양 집단자살 사건으로 세간의 관심을 받았다. 오대양 사건은 (주)오대양 용인공장에서 남녀 시체 32구가 발견된 사건으로 당시 기독교복음침례회와는 별도로 활동을 한 박순자라는 여성이 차린 오대양이라는 회사가 일으킨 사건이다.
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