MBC’s ‘Cult Hunter’: What Are the 4 Lawsuits Threatening This Groundbreaking Documentary?

Photo=MBC

[Sports Today Reporter Kim Tae-hyung] A post by someone identifying as an MBC producer drew attention after they said four lawsuits had been filed over an upcoming program.

On the 15th, an online community post appeared titled “I’m an MBC producer. Four lawsuits have been filed.”

The author, who identified themselves only as A and said they produce documentaries at MBC, posted a trailer for a documentary called Cult Hunter, scheduled to air at 9 p.m. on May 19. They wrote that they were sharing the preview with some trepidation.

They described the subject as a real person who inspired the character Lee Jung-jae played in the film Svaha. It tells the story of Tak Myung-hwan, who is regarded as South Korea’s first “cult hunter.” According to the piece, he fought alone to stop pseudo-religious groups — including JMS, Shincheonji and the Unification Church — and was killed in front of his home in 1994.

They added that while the murderer was caught, investigators never fully uncovered who was behind the crime. “We discovered new facts after 32 years,” they said.

A said the documentary should be allowed to air but that four legal actions have been filed to stop it. Three are injunctions seeking to block the broadcast; those were brought by the killer, the church where he worked, and the son of the pastor who founded that church. The fourth is a criminal complaint filed by the church’s U.S. branch. A acknowledged it will be an uphill fight and asked for public attention, saying that viewer interest would be a source of support.

They closed by saying the work is far from perfect but that they invested a great deal of time in it and asked interested viewers to tune in. The program will air on MBC at 9 p.m. on Tuesday the 19th. Wavve will release an expanded 5-part version at 11 a.m. the same day.

Meanwhile, Seojung-moon PD, who directed Cult Hunter, said in an earlier press release that the reporting process left them fearing for their and their family’s safety. “In that moment,” Seojung-moon said, “I physically understood what Tak Myung-hwan must have felt day after day.”

[Sports Today Reporter Kim Tae-hyung ent@stoo.com]
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