Posted : 2014-05-14 18:24
Updated : 2014-05-14 19:39
Cult followers in standoff with prosecution
By Kim Da-ye
Hundreds of members of the Salvation Sect associated with the owner of the sunken ferry Sewol, threatened to become martyrs Wednesday if authorities try to forcibly enter their holdout.
"We are ready to die as martyrs. The prosecution should be prepared to see bloodshed for its suppression of religion." These were chants shouted by members of the Evangelical Baptist Church at Geumsuwon, who are led by Yoo Byung-eun. Prosecutors and police have issued summons to Yoo and his children. Geumsuwon is said to be one place where Yoo is possibly hiding. The former chairman of Semo Group was summoned by the prosecution Tuesday for questioning on Friday but failed to reply. Kim Hyeon-nim, an Evangelical Baptist Church member, wrote on the message board of the church's website, ebcworld.org, "Let's fight, prepared for death of the very last person, in the war against the evil demons that lie, saying we are wicked and curse us. The Book of Esther says, We will die if we have to die." Observers fear that Yoo's family may abuse their authority in the cult to protect themselves from being investigated over how they accumulated wealth by linking their businesses to it. According to the local daily Donga Ilbo, Yoo's eldest son, Yoo Dae-gyun, told his acquaintance that his family had "entered a war," in relation to the Odaeyang incident in 1991 in which 32 people were found dead. The prosecution summoned him for questioning on Monday, but he ignored this and disappeared. Investigators raided his family home in Yeomgok-dong, Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, Tuesday, but failed to find him. Prosecutors on Wednesday placed Dae-gyun on the wanted list amid fears that he would flee the country. Local news outlets reported that Yoo's second son, Yoo Hyuk-kee or "Keith," may try to seek asylum abroad for "suppression of his religion." He has also ignored the prosecution's summons. The prosecution-police task force formed to investigate the cause of the Sewol sinking will make an interim announcement today about the outcome of its probe and indict 15 arrested crewmembers of the Sewol. The prosecution is considering filing charges of negligent homicide against Lee Joon-seok, the captain, for having abandoned the vessel without making any effort to save passengers. |
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