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Survivor of religious cult JMS shares new details about her experiences in upcoming book

Published: 28 Aug. 2025, 19:08 Updated: 29 Aug. 2025, 09:59

KIM JU-YEON
[email protected]

Left: Maple Yip, a victim of sexual assault by Jeong Myeong-seok, leader of the Christian Gospel Mission, commonly known as Jesus Morning Star (JMS), attends a press conference in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Jan. 9 regarding the Supreme Court’s 17-year prison sentence for Jeong. Right: A book with the title loosely translated to ″Trace,″ written by Yip [YONHAP, KYOBO BOOKS]

Maple Yip, a survivor of the controversial religious group Christian Gospel Mission — also known as Jesus Morning Star (JMS) — who publicly exposed the sexual abuse of its leader in a Netflix documentary, will publish a book detailing her experiences inside the cult.

Yip, whose story drew international attention in the Netflix docuseries "In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal" (2023), was one of the central figures in exposing the crimes committed by JMS founder Jeong Myeong-seok.

In a Threads post on Wednesday, Yip announced the release of a book, the title of which loosely translates to "Trace," that further details her life within and outside of JMS.

Yip said the book details how she was converted at the age of 16, how she was brainwashed within the cult, her leaving the group and her eventually filing the lawsuit.

She said she wrote the book in the hope that "it serves as a warning so that others won't suffer the same harm or become victims."

"People will probably know me as something like, 'the woman who exposed the truth about the JMS cult,' [ ...] through Netflix documentaries," Yip wrote.

"Three years ago, when I was 28, I filed charges against JMS. I revealed my face, my real name and even the details of the abuse I suffered. Because of that, I was able to help bring down a powerful organization with a 40-year history," she said.

"For me, writing was a way to organize my thoughts, process the pain and heal. For readers: I hope that by seeing the path I walked, it serves as a warning," she added.

Jeong Myeong-seok, the founder and leader of Christian Gospel Mission, better known as JMS, is featured in footage in the Netflix docuseries ″In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal″ (2023). [NETFLIX]

Yip also appears in Netflix's "The Echoes of Survivors: Inside Korea's Tragedies," the sequel to the investigative docuseries.

Released on Aug. 15, the sequel reveals how victims who suffered at the hands of the religious groups shown in the 2023 documentary continue to relive their trauma. Its producer, Jo Seong-hyeon, says the show doesn't just record the past, but serves as "a warning about the world and disasters to come."

Jeong was sentenced to 17 years in prison by Korea's top court in January for 23 counts of sexual abuse against multiple victims.

BY KIM JU-YEON [[email protected]]