Government of cultists?

Safety minister nominee claims he’s lived 47 past lives

By Jung Min-ho

Park Seung-joo

Amid suspicions that a fringe religious movement was behind the scandal involving President Park Geun-hye’s confidant Choi Soon-sil, Park is set to add a man who has made some unusual religious statements to her Cabinet.

Park Seung-joo, the nominee for minister of public safety and security, believes he’s lived “47 previous lives” and there is a “black box” that contains all the information about him in the sky.

In his book published in 2013, titled “Love is Care,” Park claims he “came to Earth 47 times in different forms” as a human or something else. He also insists he met Jeon Bong-jun, a prominent leader of the Donghak Peasant Revolution in 1894, in one of his 47 past lives, and Jeon gifted him a diary of the kings of end-Joseon Kingdom era.

He also states, “If a person dies, his body disappears, but his soul goes to the sky with two memory chips … there is a black box in the sky. My soul is in my body while the black box of my soul is in the sky. If I empty my head and contemplate, I can get the information I need from my black box.”

He was one of the organizers of a shamanistic event held in Gwanghwamun Square in May. The event included dances and “gut,” a shamanistic exorcism rite in Korea.

In response to reports on his shamanistic activities, Park said it was just a cultural event, which he said was held for those who were anxious about North Korea’s military threats and the rising risk of earthquakes.

However, Park did not deny the words in his book, saying he just wrote on his understanding about meditation.

Speaking of the ministerial post he expects to serve, he said, “If the opportunity is given to me, I will make policies for the people and support government employees while listening to the voices of many people.”

His appointment is expected to further disrupt the Park administration’s faltering attempts to silence the rumors that she has been deeply engaged in a form of shamanism.

Choi is the fifth daughter of Park’s late mentor Choi Tae-min, who is believed to have founded a cult in the 1970s that combined elements of various existing religions and rituals. His daughter Choi Soon-sil is at the center of a scandal that she pulled strings in state affairs to benefit herself and people who are close to her.

The suspicion has angered many citizens, especially Christians who account for about 30 percent of the nation’s population. Many conservative Christian groups have expressed their “great regret” over the Park administration, saying the disgraced President should take full responsibility for the scandal.