Far-right pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon under fire for punishing church members

Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, top right, orders regional leaders at Sarang Jeil Church on Thursday to assume a punitive position for failing to meet rally attendance quotas. Captured from Jeon Kwang-hoon TV on YouTube

Controversial pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church is facing backlash after video footage surfaced showing him ordering physical punishment for church members who failed to meet attendance quotas for a weekend far-right rally.

Jeon also sparked outrage with vulgar remarks aimed at his congregation.

On Thursday, during a gathering at Sarang Jeil Church, Jeon summoned regional church leaders to the front of the sanctuary, demanding they report how many people they had mobilized for a political rally.

A video posted to his YouTube channel Jeon Kwang-hoon TV shows him shouting, “If you brought 100 percent of your assigned number, go sit down. The rest, line up — heads down, go!”

At his command, about a dozen church members assumed a prone position with hands behind their backs — a posture associated with harsh military-style punishment known in Korea as “Wonsan bombing.”

Berating them, Jeon yelled, “How long are you going to stay down like that? All night if you have to! Why? Because you’re the reason this country is falling apart.” The punishment only ended after participants pledged to meet their quotas for the upcoming June 3 presidential election rally.

Jeon’s remarks escalated further when addressing the general congregation. “This is the final rally. You must put your life on the line,” he said. “If we fail in this election, I will personally send you to North Korea to be raped by Kim Jong-un,” he added, drawing immediate condemnation online.

Jeon also invoked his relationship with ruling People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo, claiming they are deeply aligned. “Kim and I don’t need to talk — we just understand each other,” Jeon said, adding that they had spent four years fighting together against former President Moon Jae-in.

Sarang Jeil Church members are forced to perform a punitive act during a gathering, Thursday. Captured from Jeon Kwang-hoon TV on YouTube

“At the Kwanhun Club forum, Kim stood up and said, ‘What’s the problem with Pastor Jeon? He’s a freedom-loving civic activist,’” he added.

During a May 8 forum, Kim indeed praised Jeon, saying, “If the churches hadn’t prayed and taken to the streets, South Korea’s democracy wouldn’t be where it is today.”

However, Kim has since claimed he no longer attends Jeon’s church and that they have no political ties, prompting accusations of dishonesty.

The Democratic Party of Korea condemned Jeon’s actions and rhetoric. “Jeon’s behavior, punishing people for failing to meet rally quotas, is nothing short of madness," said Han Min-soo, spokesperson for the party’s election committee. “Will Kim Moon-soo continue to hold hands with a far-right pastor who fuels chaos and fear? He must immediately denounce and sever ties with extremism.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.