Wolmyeongdong

Wolmyeongdong (also known as Wol Myeong Dong, Korean: 월명동; Hanja: 月明洞; lit. 'bright moon valley') is a worship and recreation center in Chungnam Province, South Korea. It is also known as the headquarters of the Providence Church, also known as Christian Gospel Mission (CGM) and Jesus Morning Star (JMS). Wolmyeongdong consists of various facilities and buildings on an area of land of about 991,735 square meters in size. Wolmyeongdong Training Center is the name commonly used externally. Within the JMS organization, it is referred to as the Christian Gospel Mission Natural Training Center or the Wolmyeongdong Natural Temple. The village, originally named Dalbakgol due to its bright moonlight, was renamed Wolmyeongdong. Additionally, the new address of the road leading to the current Wolmyeongdong Training Center is also designated as Wolmyeongdong-gil. Development of Wolmyeongdong began in the early 1990s and was led by the Providence founder Jung Myung-seok, a messiah claimant. Wolmyeongdong is Jung Myung-seok's birthplace. Jung was found by Korean courts to have coerced and forced female followers to have sex with him "as a religious behavior meant to save their souls" in 2008 and convicted on four charges of rape. He was subsequently imprisoned for 10 years and released in 2018. In 2022, more women filed reports on alleged rape and sexual assault incidents at the JMS Wolmyeongdong headquarters. Followers firmly believing Jung Myung-seok to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ consider his birthplace as a holy site and utilize the surrounding monastery as their communal headquarters. The influence of JMS in the Wolmyeongdong area is extensive, with a scale that is difficult to measure. His residence, accommodations for followers, worship halls, and auditoriums densely populate the area, forming a small village in its own right. Currently, it is estimated that at least 100 followers reside in this monastery. Additionally, during events like Jung Myung-seok's birthday or retreats held in summer and winter, hundreds to thousands of visitors are known to gather. Followers from across the country primarily access the village by boarding tour buses operated by the monastery. As a recreation center, Wolmyeongdong contains various hiking and walking trails, a pond, an art gallery, a rock museum, a sports field, natural spring waters, as well as various other amenities. However, since it is also a temple in nature that has been dedicated to the Holy Trinity, statues of the Holy Son can be seen around the sports field.