Actor Kang Ji Seob has opened up about the controversy surrounding his alleged ties to JMS, the Christian Gospel Mission, sharing his honest feelings and clarifying his position.
On the August 11 broadcast of MBN’s 'Dr. Oh’s Stay,' Kang Ji Seob addressed the rumors that had recently surfaced about his involvement with the religious group.
“I thought I was on the right path, but it turned out to be the wrong one. Because of my ignorance, I ended up being stigmatized,” Kang said. “I went there seeking peace of mind. I did not want to fall into a harmful place, but I did not know that is what it was. At one point, I even thought my acting career might end because of this.”
He recalled how his connection with JMS began during his university days. “In 2023, Netflix released 'In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,' which featured the religious group I once attended. It started when I was walking to a part-time job, and someone approached me from behind, saying I was tall and should try modeling. At the time, I was submitting photos to modeling agencies, so I thought this was related.”
After meeting several times, Kang Ji Seob was invited to attend Bible study sessions. “Right from the start, there were strange things. They would not allow us to attend worship services until we completed about 30 lessons. Also, they sang hymns in a very odd way, rewriting trot songs as praise songs. It was strange, but the people seemed pure and good. Many were elites from prestigious universities, including Harvard. I was not suspicious; I thought these people exist, and I want to become better like them.”
Kang Ji Seob stopped attending around 2017, before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, when the Netflix documentary and media reports about JMS surfaced, the impact reached him. “They said some actors were followers, but I thought it did not concern me since I had left a long time ago,” he said.
The controversy intensified when a JMS-related painting appeared in his home during a 2022 tvN show called 'Free Doctor M.' Additionally, a 2012 social media post congratulating the JMS leader on his birthday raised further suspicion.
“I received comments accusing me of being involved with the leader, asking how many women I had ‘offered.’ It was very painful. My agency even told me to wear a sign saying I was not involved. After hearing that, I felt I had no one to trust,” Kang Ji Seob shared. “Friends who used to contact me regularly stopped reaching out. Every day, I woke up in fear, wondering why I was misunderstood like this.”
He also shared the emotional toll on his family. “My sister and mother cried a lot. They worried I might do something extreme. Eventually, I admitted that my ignorance was my fault. I just attended worship quietly from the back, but that alone made people think I was a follower.”
Kang Ji Seob tried to prove his innocence by destroying the painting. “I tore the frame, but it was hard to rip. In anger, I crumpled the photo and posted it, which only caused more controversy. People said it was fake, that I should have burned it, or that I planned to use it again. I realized nothing I did could change their minds, so I just stopped talking.”
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