Key Summary
- South Korean comedian Jo Hye-ryeon is said to be living as a Christian after leaving a religious group she had previously belonged to with her family.
- The update came from a YouTube discussion featuring religious researcher Tak Ji-won and entertainer Lee Seong-mi.
- Tak described the former group, Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, as a dangerous cult and said its membership was around 1 million.
- Lee said she had recently spoken with Jo Hye-ryeon, who wanted her Christian-related book to be more widely known.
Main Story
New remarks shared on a YouTube program have drawn attention to comedian Jo Hye-ryeon’s religious life after her departure from a group she once belonged to with her family. The comments were made during an episode of the channel Lee Seong-mi’s I Can’t Go, which featured Tak Ji-won, director of the institute Hyundaejonggyo, in a conversation about missionary methods and the size of various religious organizations.
During the exchange, Lee asked which religious groups currently have the largest numbers of followers. Tak named the Church of God and Shincheonji. He then referred to Jo’s faith journey, saying that, through the prayers and concern of a church deacon, her entire family had left Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō and were now living a strong Christian faith.
Lee also mentioned a Christian book written by Jo and shared what Jo had told her in a recent phone call. According to Lee, Jo said she hoped the message would become more widely known because she wanted to help expose heresy.
Tak said Jo was a person he could not avoid mentioning in discussions about heresy. He added that many people had thought she would never return, but that she eventually did and was now praying for and helping others.
He also described Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō as a dangerous cult and said the group had about 1 million followers. The article states that Jo had previously been active as a member of the Japan-originated religious organization, but is now a devout Christian.
Background
The supplied article does not provide additional background beyond noting that Jo Hye-ryeon previously belonged to a Japan-originated religious group with her family before converting to Christianity.
Items Requiring Further Verification
- Tak Ji-won’s estimate that Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō has about 1 million followers.
- The characterization of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō as a “dangerous cult,” which is an attributed opinion rather than a verified fact in the article.
- Lee Seong-mi’s report of what Jo Hye-ryeon said during a phone call, since it is secondhand and not directly quoted from Jo in the article.
- The claim that Jo Hye-ryeon’s family all left the group because of prayers and concern from a deacon, which is presented as Tak Ji-won’s statement and not independently confirmed in the text.