Government Crackdown on Fringe Religions in 1980

In 1980, soon after General Chun Doo-hwan seized power in a military coup, his new government launched a sweeping “religious purification policy” targeting fringe religious groups deemed “cults.” This was part of Chun’s broader “social purification” drive to rid society of undesirable elements. Under this campaign, unorthodox religious sects faced intense pressure to either reform or disband. The crackdown on cults paralleled other harsh measures of social control at the time – for example, tens of thousands of gangsters, vagrants, political dissidents and “unhealthy elements” were literally rounded up and sent to camps for forced re-education under Chun’s social purification programs. In the religious sphere, the regime similarly sought to “cleanse” the nation of heretical or socially disruptive religious movements in order to enforce moral order and bolster mainstream values.

The Stewardship Education Center (SEC) and Its Role

Central to the anti-cult campaign was the involvement of a private Christian organization called the Stewardship Education Center (SEC). The SEC had originally been established by South Korea’s mainline Protestant churches as a training institute to provide continuing education for pastors and to promote sound church leadership. In 1980, the SEC joined forces with the government’s purification movement, effectively becoming the coordination hub for the churches’ action against cults. In practical terms, the SEC acted as a church-led “task force”: it mobilized mainstream Protestant denominations to identify, confront, and either reintegrate or dissolve religious splinter groups considered heretical. By leveraging the SEC, the authorities enlisted the legitimacy and organizational networks of established churches in carrying out the cult-purging policy. The SEC’s function during this period was essentially to coordinate and lead Protestant churches’ efforts to neutralize the “cult” problem, whether through theological correction, member re-education, or outright absorption of the fringe groups into orthodox congregations.

Why the SEC Was Involved in Purification Efforts

The SEC’s deep involvement in the 1980 crackdown reflected both government and church interests. Mainstream Christian leaders were highly motivated to stamp out “heresies” that had been drawing away their members and spreading unorthodox teachings. In fact, ever since the rise of new sects in the 1960s–70s, conventional churches had denounced these groups as immense heresies and social evils. By 1980, Korea’s Protestant establishment eagerly partnered with the state to combat cults, seeing it as a mission to protect doctrinal purity and congregants. The authoritarian government, for its part, found it useful to rely on the SEC and church authorities to handle the cult issue – it added moral weight to the campaign and aligned with public opinion, since many citizens (religious and secular alike) viewed the notorious cults with suspicion. In short, the SEC provided organization, theological justification, and a link to local churches for the purification program. This partnership meant the purge of fringe sects appeared as a righteous “self-cleansing” by the Korean Christian community rather than just top-down repression. The SEC’s very purpose – to strengthen and guide pastors – made it a natural vehicle to “re-educate” members of cults and steer them back to orthodox congregations.

Targeting the Tabernacle Temple as a “Cult”

One of the primary targets of the 1980 religious purification campaign was the Tabernacle Temple (Hangul: Jangmak Seongjeon), a fringe Christian sect that authorities and churches had labeled a cult. The Tabernacle Temple was an end-times breakaway movement founded in 1966 by a young preacher, Yoo Jae-yeol, and his father. From the outset, its teachings and practices departed dramatically from mainstream Christianity, which drew intense scrutiny. Yoo Jae-yeol and his father claimed to be the prophetic “Two Witnesses” from the Book of Revelation, essentially casting themselves as divinely appointed end-time messengers. The group preached that the world would end in September 1969, and only those gathered inside the Tabernacle Temple would be saved from apocalypse. This doomsday prophecy attracted over 2,000 followers to the sect’s compound in Gwacheon, near Seoul. Such radical millenarian claims – setting a specific end-of-world date and elevating the founders to quasi-biblical status – were seen as blatantly heretical by Korea’s mainstream churches. When the predicted September 1969 apocalypse failed to materialize, the Tabernacle Temple did not disband; instead it built a new headquarters and continued operating into the 1970s. However, the group’s reputation only worsened over time: scandals of fraud, corruption and abuse among its leadership began to surface, eventually drawing public and law enforcement attention. In 1976, founder Yoo Jae-yeol was even arrested and convicted of fraud, receiving a prison sentence (though it was later reduced on appeal). All these factors – failed prophecies, doctrinal deviance, and criminal allegations – solidified the Tabernacle Temple’s image as a “cult” in the eyes of both the government and the established churches.

SEC’s Intervention and the Dissolution of the Tabernacle Temple

With the launch of the 1980 purification campaign, the Tabernacle Temple came under direct pressure to reform or cease existence. The SEC took the lead in dealing with this sect, coordinating with Presbyterian church authorities to bring the Tabernacle Temple to heel. In a last-ditch effort to avoid being shut down by the government, the Tabernacle Temple’s members ousted Yoo Jae-yeol from leadership in 1980 and appointed a new head, Oh Pyeong-ho, who happened to be a licensed Presbyterian pastor. Under Oh’s leadership, the group opened its doors to the SEC’s instructors. SEC staff were invited into the Tabernacle Temple to “correct” its teachings and practices, essentially overseeing a merger of the sect back into orthodox Presbyterian Christianity. This process quickly accomplished the campaign’s goal: by late 1980, the entire Tabernacle Temple was dissolved as an independent organization and absorbed into the Presbyterian Church, along with all of its remaining members and assets. Founder Yoo Jae-yeol willingly relinquished his position and fled overseas (purportedly to study theology in the US), thus escaping the cult-leader stigma and any further punishment by the authoritarian regime. In effect, the Tabernacle Temple was “purified” by being dismantled – its heretical leaders were removed, its congregation was folded into a mainstream denomination, and the sect’s name and structures disappeared. Notably, contemporary sources record that the group was formally disbanded by September 1980 as a direct result of these measures. The SEC’s coordination was instrumental in this outcome, showcasing how the 1980 campaign achieved its aims either by reintegrating breakaway sects into orthodox churches or eliminating them outright.

Heretical Teachings That Made the Tabernacle Temple a Target

The teachings of the Tabernacle Temple were a major reason it was singled out in the purification drive. From a theological standpoint, the sect had diverged dramatically from accepted Christian doctrine in South Korea. Its earlier roots can be traced to the “Olive Tree” movement of the 1950s–60s (led by preacher Park Tae-seon), which already was considered heterodox – Park infamously proclaimed himself to be God incarnate, claiming a status even higher than Jesus Christ. Yoo Jae-yeol’s Tabernacle Temple inherited and amplified this kind of heterodoxy. As noted, Yoo taught that he and his father were the two end-time witnesses foretold in Scripture, implying they had divine authority. The sect espoused a time-limited apocalyptic prophecy (an imminent end in 3½ years) that flatly contradicted mainstream Christian eschatology. It also preached that salvation was available only through their exclusive “Tabernacle” – a claim that placed their organization at the center of God’s plan, to the exclusion of all other churches. Furthermore, the Tabernacle Temple’s leaders (“the seven messengers”) lacked any formal theological training and introduced novel interpretations of the Bible under the claim of direct Holy Spirit inspiration. To Presbyterian and Methodist church authorities, these teachings were nothing short of heresy. By mainstream criteria, the group was a “pseudo-Christian” cult distorting core tenets of the faith. Its failed prophecy in 1969 and subsequent reports of deceit and exploitation only reinforced the judgment that the sect was spiritually fraudulent. This is why, when Chun’s government gave the green light in 1980, the Tabernacle Temple became a prime target for purging – its doctrine was beyond the pale of acceptable Christianity, and it had already harmed the public trust through its scandalous conduct. In sum, teaching a false doomsday, self-deification of leaders, and alleged criminal behavior all combined to make the Tabernacle Temple a focus of the “religious purification” campaign.

Motivations Behind the “Religious Purification” Policy

The religious purge of 1980 did not occur in a vacuum; it was driven by both political and social considerations of the time. President Chun’s regime was staunchly authoritarian and sought to stabilize society after the upheavals of 1979–80 (including President Park Chung-hee’s assassination and the Gwangju uprising). The “Social Purification” initiative was a broad policy to restore order and traditional values by cracking down on crime, dissent, and anything seen as morally degenerate. Unorthodox religious groups were viewed through this lens as well – small sects with fervent followings were potential sources of unrest or at least of social discord (due to their tendency to break families apart, exploit members, or challenge the religious status quo). Moreover, South Korea’s mainstream Protestant churches wielded significant influence (by 1980 roughly one-third of South Koreans identified as Christian), and they had long been pressuring the government to act against cults that were poaching believers and tarnishing Christianity’s image. For the Chun government, the “religious purification” campaign served to appease mainstream religious leaders and the public by visibly dealing with groups widely regarded as fraudulent or dangerous. It also dovetailed with the regime’s conservative, anti-communist ethos – promoting a unified, orthodox Christian front was seen as bolstering social unity against subversive ideas. Finally, there was likely a genuine concern for public welfare: some of the cults had been involved in financial scams, sexual abuse, or other crimes (as later examples like the Five Oceans/Odaeyang mass suicide in 1987 or the Salvation Sect’s role in the 2014 Sewol Ferry disaster would show). In 1980, the government cast the cult crackdown as a protective measure for society’s spiritual health, aligning with the notion that these fringe groups were “unhealthy elements” to be purged. In essence, the campaign sought to fortify the dominance of “true” (mainstream) religion by excising fringe movements – which was politically expedient for Chun and religiously satisfying for Korea’s major churches.

South Korea’s Dominant Christian Denomination

Christianity in South Korea is dominated by Protestant churches, particularly the Presbyterian denomination. About two-thirds to three-quarters of Korean Christians are Protestant, and of those Protestants, the great majority are affiliated with Presbyterian churches. In fact, South Korea today has far more Presbyterian adherents than any other country, reflecting the historical legacy of American Presbyterian missions. Overall, Protestant Christianity is the largest faith in the country, accounting for roughly a quarter of the South Korean population (compared to about 8–10% who are Catholic). The Presbyterian Church (with multiple branches) has the highest number of members among Protestants, boasting close to 20,000 churches nationwide. This means that at the time of the 1980 purification campaign, the mainline Presbyterian and Methodist churches were the mainstream religious establishment – and they were the ones working with the SEC and government. Their dominance made it feasible to absorb smaller sects like the Tabernacle Temple into a Presbyterian fold. Even today, the landscape of Korean Christianity is marked by tens of thousands of churches (often identified by glowing red neon crosses on city skylines), and this robust Protestant presence provides fertile ground for both conventional worship and, occasionally, fringe offshoots. In short, Protestant (especially Presbyterian) Christianity is the prevailing denomination in South Korea, which is why challenges posed by fringe “cult” groups have been taken so seriously by both church and state.

Why South Korea Has Spawned So Many New Religious “Cults”

It may seem paradoxical that a country with such strong mainstream churches has also been the breeding ground for numerous religious cults and new sects. However, South Korea’s modern history and cultural climate help explain this phenomenon. In the aftermath of Japanese colonial rule (1910–45) and the Korean War (1950–53), Korean Christianity became intertwined with nationalism and hopes for renewal. Many Koreans saw Christianity as a religion of liberation and national identity, since churches had resisted the Japanese and provided social stability. This led to a post-war religious fervor in which dozens of charismatic Christian revival movements sprang up. In the 1950s–1960s, South Korea experienced a “boom” of new religious movements: over 50 new Christian-oriented sects were founded in the post-war era, and by one count around 70 different individuals proclaimed themselves to be a new messiah figure during those decades. Two of the earliest and most influential were Park Tae-seon’s Olive Tree movement (1950s) and Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church (founded 1954) – both of which embedded strong themes of Korean destiny and end-times prophecy. These groups’ relative success (despite scandals and opposition) inspired many other copycat prophets and sect leaders, giving rise to a proliferation of cults. Sociologists note that rapid social change and trauma also played a role: the warp-speed modernization and urbanization of South Korea created spiritual voids and disillusionment with old traditions. This environment proved fertile for “spiritual entrepreneurs” – charismatic leaders offering new visions and promises to address people’s anxieties. Indeed, rapid societal upheaval often produces religious ferment, and Korea’s experience was no exception. Charismatic messianic figures like Moon or Park Tae-seon gained followings as saviors for some, charlatans to others, blurring the line between prophet and profit (tellingly, both of those men eventually served prison time for fraud). Additionally, Korean indigenous culture (including Shamanistic and millenarian folk beliefs) has at times blended with Christianity to yield unique syncretic offshoots, further fueling new sect formation. By the early 1980s, as noted, nearly 100 new religious movements had been established, many tracing their lineage back to the Olive Tree or Unification Church influence. South Korea’s high religious enthusiasm, competitive church landscape, and political turbulence thus combined to make it a hotbed for cults and fringe Christian movements. Even harsh public criticism and periodic crackdowns have not fully stemmed this tide – these groups continue to attract followers on the margins of society, leveraging Korea’s legacy of religious nationalism and personal salvation. In summary, the same conditions that made South Korea a strongly Christian nation (zeal, nationalism, rapid change) also catalyzed the emergence of many unorthodox sects, which is why the country is noted for its disproportionate number of homegrown “cults”.

Why So Many Cults Originated in Korea

South Korea’s rise as a “cult hotspot” is tied to several factors:

• Post-war trauma and social instability created spiritual hunger.
• Rapid modernization and urbanization led to dislocation and identity crises.
• Strong Christian influence (from U.S. missionaries) laid the groundwork for apocalyptic beliefs.
• Charismatic leaders, like Park Tae-seon and Sun Myung Moon, inspired copycats.
• Nationalism and Korean exceptionalism often merged with theology.
• Syncretism with traditional Shamanism allowed for new, localized expressions of Christianity.

From the 1950s to the 1980s, over 70 people claimed to be messiah figures in Korea. The Tabernacle Temple was one of many apocalyptic sects born from this volatile spiritual environment. South Korea’s religious landscape, with its intensity, freedom, and deep societal transformations, has remained fertile ground for both orthodox revival and new religious movements.

Conclusion

The 1980 “religious purification” campaign under President Chun Doo-hwan represents a dramatic episode in South Korea’s church-state history. It showcased an alliance between an authoritarian state and orthodox churches to eliminate fringe religious movements. The Stewardship Education Center (SEC) played a pivotal role in this effort, functioning as the bridge between government policy and church action – a role rooted in its mission to uphold sound pastoral practice. The Tabernacle Temple’s fate illustrates how the campaign worked: a high-profile “cult” was forcibly reformed from within, its deviant doctrines stamped out and its congregation absorbed by the dominant Presbyterian Church. The driving force behind this was a mix of political calculus, mainstream religious fervor, and genuine alarm at the excesses of cults. South Korea’s case is instructive in that a country with a powerful Christian majority (largely Protestant) has simultaneously generated numerous breakaway sects, necessitating such purification measures. While the SEC-led campaign of 1980 largely succeeded – even the infamous Tabernacle Temple was dissolved by that autumn – it did not end Korea’s “cult” phenomenon. New groups have arisen in subsequent decades (e.g. Shincheonji, JMS Providence, the World Mission Society Church of God, etc.), continuing the cycle of mainstream Christian opposition versus fringe religious innovation. Nonetheless, the events of 1980 remain a striking example of how South Korea confronted the challenge: through a concerted religious purification drive that reinforced the primacy of orthodox Christianity and temporarily quelled the influence of heterodox sects. The legacy of that campaign is still felt today in the vigilant attitude Korean churches hold toward any movement deemed a “cult.”

Sources

1. The Journal of CESNUR (2020) – Massimo Introvigne: “Shincheonji and the Tabernacle Temple: A Theological and Historical Investigation”

2. The Journal of CESNUR (2021) – Massimo Introvigne: “The Seven Messengers and the Reality of Betrayal”

3. Wikipedia: “Tabernacle Temple (South Korea)” – History and Dissolution

4. International Center for Law and Religion Studies – Korea Religious Freedom Profile

5. Facts and Details – Overview of Christianity in South Korea

6. Emily Creasman (2021) – “Cults, Charisma, and Crisis: A History of NRMs in Korea” – University of Puget Sound

7. FAIR.org quoting Reuters – Chun Doo-hwan’s Social Purification Campaign

8. The Economist (via Facts & Details) – “Religious Cults in Korea”

9. Korean Presbyterian Church Statistics – Official Site (Hangul)

The Stewardship Education Center: Shincheonji’s Narrative vs. Historical Reality

Lee Man-hee’s Shincheonji Church of Jesus (SCJ) teaches a dramatic origin story in which its founder “overcame” a corrupt entity called the Stewardship Education Center (SEC). In SCJ’s theology, the SEC is cast as a heretical “dragon” or the “beast” of Revelation that infiltrated a former church (the Tabernacle Temple), which Lee heroically defeated in order to establish a new spiritual temple – Shincheonji’s 12 Tribes of spiritual Israel. This report examines the real historical circumstances of the SEC’s decline and contrasts them with Shincheonji’s narrative. By reviewing the SEC’s actual origin, purpose, and dissolution, alongside SCJ’s claims of prophetic fulfillment, we can see where Shincheonji’s spiritualized history diverges from documented fact.

Shincheonji’s Narrative: Overcoming a “Heretical” SEC

According to Shincheonji doctrine, the SEC was a nefarious, government-backed “religious cleansing” organization that invaded and destroyed the Tabernacle Temple (an earlier church that SCJ calls the “first heaven”). SCJ teaches that in 1980 the SEC’s pastors – described as the “beast with seven heads and ten horns” from Revelation 13 – infiltrated and took over the Tabernacle Temple, fulfilling biblical prophecy. They claim the SEC had extraordinary authority: it could appoint or ordain ministers, label churches as heretical, and shut down ministries at will.

In SCJ’s interpretation, these seven SEC “heads” were corrupt Presbyterian pastors led by figures whom they identify with Revelation’s villains – for example, cult researcher Tak Myeong-hwan is labeled the “great prostitute Babylon,” and Pastor Oh Pyeong-ho is equated with the “beast from the earth.” By contrast, SCJ says Lee Man-hee is the promised “one who overcomes” from Revelation 2–3 – the only person who remained faithful, “fought and was victorious” over these false pastors, and established the true new kingdom.

In Shincheonji’s narrative, Lee’s victory over the SEC and its allies was the prerequisite for God to create the new spiritual Israel, i.e., the Shincheonji Church founded in 1984. They teach that all these events – the betrayal of the Tabernacle Temple, the SEC’s destructive work, and Lee’s triumph – were literal fulfillments of Revelation during 1966–1984. SCJ portrays the SEC as a heretical “dragon” that was defeated by Lee Man-hee, thus paving the way for Shincheonji’s establishment as the sole true church.

Background: What Was the Stewardship Education Center (SEC)?

In reality, the Stewardship Education Center (also known as the Christian Stewardship Training Institute) was not a sinister cult-control cabal, but a relatively unremarkable, non-denominational training institute for Christian pastors. It was founded in the 1970s with the goal of helping mainstream church leaders improve their ministries and grow in stewardship. The SEC offered seminars, courses and publications on church administration, finance, and service.

It had no governmental or ecclesiastical authority to ordain clergy or shut churches – it was not a regulatory body at all, but an educational one. Contemporary Christian sources confirm that the SEC was created as a training institution for established church pastors.

Leadership and Composition: The SEC’s staff included a handful of respected pastors and Christian educators. These included Rev. Tak Seong-hwan (director), Rev. Kim Jeong-doo (deputy director), Rev. Kim Bong-gwan (secretary-general), Rev. Han Ui-taek (academic director), Rev. Won Se-ho (instructor), and Rev. Oh Pyeong-ho (general affairs). Notably, Tak Myeong-hwan – the famous evangelical counter-cult apologist – was not actually an SEC staff member but headed a separate research group.

Purpose and Theological Stance: The SEC’s theological orientation was firmly mainstream Presbyterian/Evangelical. During the authoritarian Fifth Republic of Korea (1980s), President Chun Doo-hwan launched a religious purification policy targeting fringe religious groups. The SEC joined this campaign as a coordinator from the side of the established churches. It saw itself as protecting congregations from deceptive sects and provided seminars to educate pastors on cult prevention and church management.

The Tabernacle Temple and the Purification Campaign

The Tabernacle Temple (or The Tabernacle Temple of the Testimony) was founded in 1966 by Yoo Jae-yul along with seven “messengers.” Lee Man-hee was among the early members. The group attracted followers with its charismatic teachings, but by the late 1970s, it was beset with corruption and schisms. Yoo was arrested for fraud in 1976. Lee Man-hee was reportedly threatened and beaten when he urged reform.

By the late 1970s, the movement was falling apart. Records show that the Tabernacle Temple’s property in Gwacheon was sold to the government in 1977, and by 1979 the main building was abandoned. In 1980, as part of the religious purification campaign, Pastor Oh Pyeong-ho was appointed to oversee the remaining group and facilitate its absorption into the Presbyterian church. The SEC helped guide this transition administratively and the congregation was renamed Isaac Church.

Despite SCJ’s claim of a dramatic spiritual battle, there was no infiltration or confrontation. The merger was peaceful and administrative. The former temple building hosted Isaac Church services under Presbyterian oversight.

Lee Man-hee’s Role and the Birth of Shincheonji

Lee Man-hee opposed the Tabernacle Temple’s collapse but played no formal role in stopping it. He denounced the leadership for compromising with mainstream churches and gathered a small group who refused the transition. With this remnant, Lee founded Shincheonji in 1984.

Shincheonji teaches that Lee had “overcome” the Nicolaitans (betrayers) and the SEC pastors (destroyers). However, there’s no evidence Lee directly confronted the SEC or reversed its actions. In fact, he was arrested in late 1980 for defamation against Yoo and the leadership. Pastor Oh later testified that the SEC never physically entered the Tabernacle Temple and Lee never engaged them directly. SCJ reinterpreted these events symbolically as the fulfillment of Revelation, with Lee positioned as the spiritual overcomer.

The Closure of the SEC: Myths and Facts

SCJ teaches that the SEC only operated for seven years (often cited as 1984–1991) and was destroyed as divine judgment. In reality, the SEC was still active into the mid-1990s. Its materials were still being published in 1995. The group likely became dormant due to the end of government anti-cult campaigns and the death of Tak Myeong-hwan in 1994. There is no evidence that SCJ had any part in the SEC’s decline.

Comparing Shincheonji’s Narrative with Historical Records

Key contrasts include:

• SEC’s Power: SCJ claims the SEC had near-total authority. Historical records show it was a small educational nonprofit with no such powers.
• Temple Takeover: SCJ says the SEC invaded the Tabernacle Temple. Records show the building was sold and abandoned before SEC involvement.
• 7 Heads/10 Horns: SCJ identifies specific pastors as prophetic beasts. In reality, some weren’t even part of the SEC, and others were merely educators.
• SEC Timeline: SCJ claims the SEC ended in 1991. In truth, its work and materials continued years later.
• Lee’s Victory: SCJ portrays Lee as defeating the SEC. In reality, he opposed the transition but did not stop it.

Conclusion

The real story behind the SEC and the Tabernacle Temple is one of religious decline, administrative restructuring, and political context – not prophecy. Shincheonji repackaged these events into a narrative of divine warfare and triumph to justify its authority. Yet the documented facts show that no spiritual battle took place, and Lee Man-hee’s claims to be the Overcomer are theological interpretations, not historical victories. Shincheonji’s reliance on this fabricated history as a test of salvation invites serious scrutiny. Truth should rest on facts, not forced fulfillment.