Only 2 days left before Koreans hit the polling stations, and former “Naggomsu” podcast presenter Kim Yong-min’s troubles are far from over. Electoral candidate for the Democratic United Party, Kim has been under fire this week for his controversial remarks, including suggesting to remove escalators from one of Seoul’s main stations to get rid of poor elderly people, covered by koreaBANG, as well as saying that Korea’s main broadcasters should air pornography to help increase the country’s already-low birthrate. His party’s leadership has even recommended for him to pull out of the race altogether, but defiant-Kim says he would rather voters decide his fate on the 11th. The foul-mouthed candidate did not stop short of insulting the Christian community either, with new allegations of bad bahavior surfacing on the internet, attracting almost 10 000 comments on portal site Daum alone.
From Kukinews:
Anger spread among Christians over Kim Yongmin’s insults against church
Anger mounted among the Christian as the news of Kim Yongmin (38, Seoul Nowon District) controversial remarks on seniors, sexual violence and derogatory comments against Christians surfaced on the web. The Christian groups released a barrage of editorials and statements strongly condemning and pushing for Kim’s withdrawal.
Self-acclaimed “Son of Pastor swine” and “sexual harassment swine” on the Nakomsoo podcast, he remarked in the interview last year during his visit to the US “Korean protestant churches are criminal organizations deserving of destruction”, adding that “Whoever comes into power, the Korean protestants will collapse no matter what.”
In February, he introduced himself as a “Son of Pastor swine with penchant for dirty jokes” and frequently made fun of the Protestant pastors. In mocking protestant pastor, he often used strong profanities such as “wank off”/ X까 (“X” refers to male reproductive organ) to verbally abuse the pastors.
Other parodies on Hymns that Kim has committed are as follows: Sweet By and By was changed to “Shut up, shut up, shut up, go read politics”, Hymn “Washed in Blood” to “MB Highness shall know all his sins yet do we still believes in Him”, “I Shall Fight Against Devils” to “I Shall Picket Aginst Mr. Ju [reporter]”. “Christ Arose” was changed to “Pick Pick Swine Picking on him”, “Plainfield” was “To know more politics nothing better than this podcast episode”. Particularly offensive incident was when he attended the ‘Kookmin Daily Great Revival General Strike Meeting’ at Mapo Art Center in Seoul, donning a ministrial gown and changed a spiritual song “Peace Like a River” to “Profit Like Grand Canal Project, Incheon Airport, Highspeed Train I Shall Profit From”, savagely making mockery of Christians.
Kim added insult to injury by substituting words in holy prayers in the podscasts: “We pray for the blessing of the flawless management of Rat Christ’s [Lee Myungbak] retirement portfolio… and his only son Lee Siyoung’s [President Lee Myungbak’s first son] investment under pseudonym… and his wife Kim Yoonok’s faultless wealth management plan”.
In the earlier podcast Kim abused the former Seoul mayoral conservative contender Ms. Na Kyungwon by referring to the passage in John 8:7 in which Jesus defends an adulterous woman by saying “Let him who is without sin among you be the first one to throw a stone at her” with “Throw a stone at this woman who received $100,000 skin care”. He further made mockery of holy blessings such as Hallelujah with “Nollelujah” and Amen with “Alright”.
In another occasion Kim blasphemed by changing Hymn 338 “Where He leads me” to “Greenbelt that is in the way of my illegally acquiring the land nearby Naegok-dong, my life dream is to become Chaebol by wealth investment”. He was laid off from Kookdong Broadcast in 1998 and was fired from Christian TV. At Newsnjoy (Christian newspaper) he served as the editor. Thereafter he switched to political pundit and through personal connection with Kim Uhjun, he joined Nakomsoo and achieved notoriety with his profanity.
The Korean Church Press Association released a statement urging Kim to withdraw his candidacy “in sincere effort to apologize to the nation”. The Association said “Kim presented himself as “Son of Pastor” and yet unleashed a barrage of profanity and abused the holy Bible and Hymns with coarse and low-level parodies in order to expand their audience base.
“Between 2004 and 2005, his unimaginably coarse language was exposed on YouTube on the first of April and caused much controversy. But with no sign of repentance, he only apologized on the fourth. And if he is truly sincere and seeking heart-felt forgiveness from the nation and God, he should “bear the cross” by withdrawing his candidacy.”
Esther Prayer Movement wrote “Kim’s coarse language is an insult to God and His faithful servants and sin against the nation, public authority and society.” The statement concluded by sternly warning “Kim should be responsible for his comments and withdraw and issue apologies to the Korean churches and to the nation so that it may never occur again. Otherwise he should bear closely the words from the Book of Proverbs (11:11) that warns against the mouth of the wicked being overthrown.”
Comments From Daum:
와따헬:
When abroad, Koreans gather and single out those who are not gae-dok. They ask if you are “gae-dok” bluntly in your face.
민주엄마:
I attend church but everything he says is correct. I hope you win…
노란튜울립:
I got an election pamphlet which made me laugh. Number 10, Christian Party. They don’t pay any tax and destroy our tradition and hand out candies to people… That’s what you are being asked to vote for. In the below one line said it all… “Destroy the North Korean element! The church will lower your bank loan interest rate to 2% /// They sell out Jesus to make living, is that normal to live with these people?
심공도사:
Ah the venerable Christian Council of Korea that reported “worked to death” about the pastor who fell to death while committing adultery. The pastor takes your panties off and the congregation says Amen. The pastors who sell heaven and hell to line their pockets. The one pastor with STD in Yoi Island…
작은곰자리:
He said nothing but truth. They are embarrassed so they are foaming in their mouth denouncing him.
시골뜨기:
Kim Yongmin, you have given up your minimal human decency. He does not even have the basic sense of moral, spewing those nasty words unsuitable even for the back-alley thugs. I dare not even mention his name. I cannot even bear to live with such a man in this country. The Democracy party should apology to the nation and throw him out of this election!!
올드리스너:
Yongmin is not mouthing off Christianity but those pastors and system that exercise corrupt power. He is a Christian himself and wanted to devote his life to change the church. Christians, do not criticize the man who wishes to change the church for better but point finger at those profiteering ministers, are they so great? The pastor humbly serving in faraway country is far greater.
anftodi:
I heard they suck you off inside the church? Jesus definitely was not around.
qvbsssu:
The churches have been reduced laughing stock… Don’t get pissy at criticism but reflect on what has gone wrong… Think first and create positive images… Don’t say it’s just few bad ones… I think it’s pretty much all… You can’t run your congregation without money so now churches are slave to money… they can’t run church without money…
eos:
Minister Cho is fighting with his family over money, in-laws are now sworn enemies… busy in court…Minister Jun says all the nasty things about woman… if you are a single woman and not have children you will be sent to jail, that is his sermon…The big churches sermon about how the North Korean elements ought to be destroyed and elect Lee Myung-bak as president… and not a single word about his wrongdoings…Professor Son laments of the unprecedented level of corrupt among protestant church in Korea…Truth-speaker like Kim Yongmin are being lambasted by Kookmin Daily,, is there Jesus in the Korean protestant churches?? Aren’t they not against the two Koreas being unified?
공구리척살:
Mr. Kim, you truly follow the teachings of Jesus and I wish to call you a true believer.
아닌건아닌거다:
The church in Korea being rotten to the core is not news.. What’s the big deal, ke ke.
희망한국:
As time goes by, it’s become clear Kim said not a single lie…Mysogynistic comments are all out, so things have worked to their plan…But those crazy seniors are on the move and so are the Christian pastors meaning…Kim is now off the hook.. ke ke ke ke
mark-19:
Ah the gae-dok newspaper~ ke ke ke. How is the Big pastor doing, bragging the weekly donation~~? Oh right, he received more in his backpocket~~??!!! And what about his sons abroad, avoiding military service, are they alright~??!!! I heard they were employed by Kookmin Daily~!!! ke ke ke
데나리온:
Please wake up to the reality, big churches. You guys are being criticized by those man T.T There are a lot of people serving humbly in the dark, but they are all being lumped together T.T
guts:
The Korean churches love money and women. And now power…
한국의소나무:
Not a single wrong word here, so why so much fuss…The Korean churches are criminal organisations.
