Cult Leader Faces W4 Bil. Lawsuit

Korea Times/February 24, 2004
By Byun Duk-kun

Cho Hui-song, leader of religious cult Yongsaenggyo, was on Tuesday sued for 4 billion won in a compensation suit by the families of victims allegedly murdered by the cult leader.

A group of 23 family members of five former followers of Yongsaenggyo filed the suit against the convicted religious leader with the Seoul Central Court.

The families claimed that Cho ordered the killings of the five victims in 1985-1992.

Cho was arrested and indicted in September last year on charges of ordering four of his followers, including 60-year-old Ra Kyong-ok, to murder 10 of his former believers between 1985 and 1992. The Suwon District Court sentenced him to death on Feb. 2, but the court only recognized that only six of his former followers were murdered by Cho¡¯s order from 1990 through 1992.

The families of the five victims killed in 1985-1992 decided to take their case to a civil court to demand a total of 4 billion won in compensation from the cult leader and the foundation of the religious cult.

Each family asked for 79 million won to 517 million won in compensation plus interest on their indemnity since the day their family members went missing, or allegedly murdered.

Cho is now being held at Anyang Dentention Center in Kyonggi Province.