[YouTube channel of Cheotyeolmaedeur]
[YouTube channel of Cheotyeolmaedeur]

Park Jin-young, the singer and head of JYP Entertainment, has spoken out against accusations that his Protestant congregation is a cult, as the controversy continues to spark debate online over what defines a heretical religion.

On Friday, a video titled "How to sin less" was posted to the YouTube channel of Cheotyeolmaedeur, the Protestant group Park leads.

In the video, Park said that even when he evangelizes diligently, only about one in 10 people accepts the faith. "The other nine, no matter how hard you try, won't take it in," he said. "And worse, some of them stab you in the back — when I hear people saying, 'Looks like he's fallen into a cult, something's off,' it really breaks my heart."

Park said that being persecuted helps suppress sinful impulses. "When you're persecuted, bad desires die out — I can say this with confidence from personal experience. It's true," he said. Park then cited his own case: "When I hear things like, 'Park Jin-young is a heretic, a cult member, stay away from that place,' I feel so indignant and wronged. And yet, somehow, the bad thoughts that would normally arise just don't come."

Park drew a parallel to Jesus, saying that the unjust persecution Jesus endured helped him refrain from sin. "When I hear something deeply unfair, my instinct is to think, 'Just wait — I'll prove it through how I live,' not 'I should drink more' or 'I should go out and have fun.' Strangely, those thoughts just don't come," he said.

Park has been directly addressing the controversy through the channel in recent weeks, making public statements about his faith.

In September, Park described the congregation as "surprisingly well-grounded, with clear roots and a lineage," saying it draws on Wesleyan Methodism for its doctrine on attaining eternal life and on the fundamentalist independent Baptist tradition associated with American pastor Peter Ruckman for its interpretation of whether eternal life can be lost. He said that where the group diverges from established denominations reflects doctrine that Cheotyeolmaedeur has developed on its own.

Park also noted that the congregation includes members from diverse backgrounds — Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist and even Shincheonji — but drew a line against any suggestion of affiliation with specific organizations. "Just because we have members who came from Shincheonji doesn't mean our church is Shincheonji," he said.

Park's public disclosure has set off a debate among netizens over the definitions of "cult" and "heresy." One commenter said, "What else would you call it when someone invokes God while teaching things that contradict orthodox Christian doctrine?" Another rebuffed that: "Whether something is orthodox or not was decided by power struggles within the church establishment — that's no guarantee it reflects God's actual teachings." A third took a more pragmatic view: "From an ordinary person's perspective, if you do bad things, you're a cult; if you don't, you're a normal religion. Before Protestants point fingers at Park Jin-young, they should clean up the pastors committing crimes. That's what heresy looks like."

Meanwhile, the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap), one of the country's largest Protestant denominations, is conducting a denominational study of Park and Cheotyeolmaedeur's teachings. It is expected to present its findings at the regular general assembly in September 2027.


paq@heraldcorp.com