Deulsori Times fined three-million-won for slandering founder of Christian Today Korea

Heavy Penalty for spreading rumors about second-coming Christ without evidence - Pastor Sam K. Choi influence conspiracy and suspicion

Seoul Central district public prosecutor's office fined Deulsori Times(issuer Hyo-Gun Jo) summary indictment three-million-won penalty (Case number 2008-88813) for defaming the character of Christian Today Korea's founder Rev. Jae H. Jang by spreading without evidence false rumors that Rev. Jang claims to be the second-coming Christ. The three-million-won fine is one of the heaviest punishments for press.

From May of this year Deulsori Times started printing articles insisting, without any evidence but following the assertion of 'Daniel Or's Committee' which was created by a cult-fabricator, that the founder of Christina Today Korea claims to be the second-coming Christ. 'Daniel Or's Committee' is suspected of using threats to fabricate evidence and bring forth false witnesses. With the article of Deulsori Times as the starting point, for 6 months from then, Deulsori Times and newspapers competing against Christian Today in Korea, Japan, United States and Australia started distorted and false reports about Christian Today and its founder.

During the process of investigation and prosecution, Deulsori Times presented as evidence documents, audios, images and photos of slandering words and claims against the Christian Today founder which came from not only Korea but also from overseas competitor newspapers, but conclusively it was confirmed through investigation and prosecution that those documents were false.

At the beginning of the investigation, Deulsori Times' CEO Hyo-Gun Jo repeatedly emphasized that he has evidence about the heresy of Christian Today and its founder. However when all the presented materials were not approved as valid evidence, he then confessed that "there is no evidence but everyone thinks that way" and showed such speech and behavior that were under common sense.

Especially, during the investigation, Pastor Choi misrepresented The Christian Council of Korea(CCK)'s Heresy Committee as the Heretical Injury Consultation Officer of CCK as he presented a written opinion in November asserting the innocence of Deulsori Times. The background is very noteworthy. Until last year, Deulsori Times has seriously raised an issue of the tritheism of Pastor Choi as heretic. Despite of that, Pastor Choi has been deeply involved with the case of indictment of Deulsori Times and has lost the objectivity and the neutrality as the Heretical Injury Consultation Officer of CCK and has misrepresented CCK’s Korea's Heresy Committee and has tried to partially influence the investigation agency's decision. This is predicted to bring adverse criticism upon him.

The written opinion can be presented only when both suspects consent, so Pastor Choi conspired the fact about an offense that was given as three-million-won as a fine and misrepresented Heresy Committee of CCK. Therefore investigation is requested to see whether Pastor Choi tried to influence the Heresy Committee of CCK to assert the innocence of Deulsori Times by himself getting deeply involved with the this case.

Pastor Choi, last July in Hong Kong after contacting with the one who fabricated the claim that the founder of Christian Today Korea as being heretic, gave evidences that could not be verified in relation to this founder, and has suspicion of carelessly calling the organization heretic. Last September, Pastor Choi initiated a press conference that unilaterally circulated the false witness to the press and falsely testified about the founder of Christian Today. He is being spotted as a ringleader in the slanderous event about the founder.

Deulsori Times that first circulated rumor that the founder of Christian Today Korea claims to be the second-coming Christ in Korea was dealt with a heavy penalty from the prosecution. Accordingly, it will be hard for the media and figures that asserted or reported similar contents as that of Deulsori Times to avoid the punishment from the judicature. Furthermore, it is expected to have big effect in the lawsuit that is now under way with the places that has slandered this organization.


P.S.
In relation to the Deulsori Times prosecution case, the spreading of false rumors about Christian Today affected the business of Christian Today as well as the businesses of figures related to Christian Today. Therefore Christian Today Korea is currently preparing a civil trial of lawsuit of a scale of billion-won for compensation for damage of business.