Netflix's 'The Echoes Of Survivors' Uncovers South Korea's Darkest Cult Crime, All To Know About JMS

Netflix has reignited a nationwide reckoning in South Korea with The Echoes of Survivors: Inside Korea’s Tragedies, a powerful follow-up to its 2023 hit, In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal. This eight-part docuseries explores major Korean tragedies, but two episodes specifically revisit the shocking case of JMS (Jesus Morning Star), a religious cult founded by self-proclaimed messiah, Jung Myung Seok. The series shines a spotlight on how the cult thrived for over four decades despite rape convictions, media exposés, and international manhunts, all thanks to deep-rooted connections of the cult in politics, media, law enforcement, and even the K-pop world. Here’s all you need to know about the cult.

The Echoes of Survivors: Inside Korea’s Tragedies talks about the cult crimes, a messiah in disguise and his global victims

The Echoes of Survivors picks up where the earlier docuseries left off, it talks about how Jung Myung Seok was convicted of rape in 2008, and was imprisoned again in 2022, but still somehow managed to keep his empire alive. His cult, which had been active since 1978, spread beyond Korea to countries like the U.S., Australia, and Hong Kong. Followers viewed him not as a predator but as a divine figure. Survivors like Maple and Amy, who collected evidence and spoke out in In the Name of God, return in this sequel to show how the system failed them for years. The new series dives into how JMS operated like a shadow organisation, infiltrating institutions that were supposed to expose it.

Cult that refused to die: How Jung Myung Seok controlled power even from prison

Even after being jailed for a decade, Jung Myung Seok's hold over his followers never weakened. Upon his release in 2018, he was welcomed not with outrage but with celebration. Wearing a GPS bracelet on his ankle, Jung Myung Seok continued to lead his followers until new testimonies and allegations forced authorities to act again. In 2022, after global media attention and mounting pressure from survivors, he was sentenced to 23 more years in prison, while his deputy received a 7-year sentence. The series questions how such crimes remained hidden for so long and how cult sympathisers within police and media are still obstructing justice for his victims.

JMS cult had K-pop and celebrity links

One of the most explosive revelations about JMS was the involvement of Kyoungyoon of DKZ, a rising K-pop idol who admitted to being born into a JMS family after fans uncovered his links to the cult. He apologised publicly and vowed to cut ties, but his confession opened a Pandora’s box. Online forums buzzed with rumours speculating that more idols and TV producers were linked to JMS.

Anti-JMS activist, Kim Do-hyeong and director, Jo Seong-hyeon, both suggested that JMS members exist even within major Korean networks like KBS and MBC. Jo warned, that targeting low-level followers is not helpful and may turn into witch-hunting, instead pointing towards the leadership and ideology of the cult as the root of the problem is needed.

The Echoes of Survivors is about more than JMS: Where and when to watch the docuseries

Serving as a follow-up to In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal, The Echoes of Survivors: Inside Korea’s Tragedies is an eight-part Netflix docuseries which has broadened its scope from its predecessor. Beyond the religious cult, it revisits three more of South Korea’s most haunting real-life disasters.

From the abuse and forced labour at Busam Brothers’ Home, to the chilling gang murders committed by the Chijon family, to the JMS cult scandal, and the catastrophic Sampoong Department Store collapse, each episode explores how corruption and social inequality lead to some of South Korea's most henious crimes. The stories are told through firsthand accounts, archival news footage, and re-enactments and the series is currently streaming on Netflix.

What are your thoughts about The Echoes of Survivors: Inside Korea’s Tragedies?

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