Thanks for exploring those articles. In Korea, this is the most visible cult and the one most often in the news. When I mention my interest in cults to Koreans, this is usually the group they respond with.
The group's mass events held in September around the leader's birthday are similiar to North Korea's Arirang Games. Members spend months practicing their dances and card performances - there are even allegations members wear adult diapers to avoid toilet breaks which would interfere with the perfect card displays. Discarded adult diapers were found afterwards in rubbish bins surrounding the venue. Here's one Korean news report that mentions that.The scale of the event is evident. Most members are present, and hundreds of VIP and other guests are invited under the guise of front groups.
The toilet ban is certainly consistent with other things I have heard - members being told not to bring water to protest to avoid toilet breaks, and people duped into attending have reported being told to stay in their seats when asking for directions to bathrooms and when leaving before the end of the event. These events make for great propaganda videos and the seats need to stay filmed and there can be no gaps in the card performances.
[www.youtube.com]
This next video, which I filmed, is from such a protest against a Korean TV station. They shouted in unison for hours. After a few hours, some looked ready to drop. It was for this event that members were told not to bring water. It was an unseasonably warm day in late April. And I was just filming one part of the protest. At a park to the left of the scene I filmed, there were about 3-4 times as many members all shouting for hours as well.
[www.youtube.com]
This interview with a member by the journalist who wrote the most recent article is very telling. In it, she quite candidly answers questions about the group's deceptive tactics, the belief the leader is immortal, and the many broken families.
[soundcloud.com]
And related to the mass games, here's a piece from Zimbabwe:
[allafrica.com]
The group's mass events held in September around the leader's birthday are similiar to North Korea's Arirang Games. Members spend months practicing their dances and card performances - there are even allegations members wear adult diapers to avoid toilet breaks which would interfere with the perfect card displays. Discarded adult diapers were found afterwards in rubbish bins surrounding the venue. Here's one Korean news report that mentions that.The scale of the event is evident. Most members are present, and hundreds of VIP and other guests are invited under the guise of front groups.
The toilet ban is certainly consistent with other things I have heard - members being told not to bring water to protest to avoid toilet breaks, and people duped into attending have reported being told to stay in their seats when asking for directions to bathrooms and when leaving before the end of the event. These events make for great propaganda videos and the seats need to stay filmed and there can be no gaps in the card performances.
[www.youtube.com]
This next video, which I filmed, is from such a protest against a Korean TV station. They shouted in unison for hours. After a few hours, some looked ready to drop. It was for this event that members were told not to bring water. It was an unseasonably warm day in late April. And I was just filming one part of the protest. At a park to the left of the scene I filmed, there were about 3-4 times as many members all shouting for hours as well.
[www.youtube.com]
This interview with a member by the journalist who wrote the most recent article is very telling. In it, she quite candidly answers questions about the group's deceptive tactics, the belief the leader is immortal, and the many broken families.
[soundcloud.com]
And related to the mass games, here's a piece from Zimbabwe:
[allafrica.com]