J.Y. Park addresses cult allegations against Firstfruits religious group

Singer and producer J.Y. Park stated on the 3rd that his religious group, Firstfruits, has begun to face significant persecution following cult allegations. While the Presbyterian Church of Korea (TongHap) is currently researching whether the group's teachings possess heretical characteristics, J.Y. Park said he has no intention of engaging in doctrinal debates to resolve the matter.

Singer and producer J.Y. Park has directly addressed the controversy surrounding the religious group he leads, Firstfruits, which has faced allegations of being a cult. Amid ongoing suspicions, he claimed that they have begun to face significant persecution, yet indicated he has no intention of engaging in doctrinal debates or organized responses to resolve the issue.

During a lecture titled "False Confidence vs. Right Confidence" released on the Firstfruits YouTube channel on the 3rd, J.Y. Park commented on the external perceptions of the religious group. "We have now started to receive a lot of persecution and are being called a cult," he said.

He emphasized that he would not resolve the matter through his own methods, stating, "Resolving this is not done in our way. It will be resolved appropriately at the right moment." He added, "It is not about arguing over doctrine or systematically rushing to videos to leave comments to resolve this." His remarks suggest an intention to accept the situation from a perspective of faith rather than engaging in an active battle for public opinion.

"The way to avoid cult persecution is not through our own efforts. That resolution is something God does," J.Y. Park added. He explained his interpretation of the surrounding controversies and external criticisms from a religious standpoint, suggesting they are not issues to be settled through human responses.

The lecture also revealed the personal circumstances that led J.Y. Park to his faith. He recalled, "When I turned forty, for the first time, things did not go my way." He explained that until then, he possessed the confidence that even if he failed at something, he could eventually achieve the desired results by trying again.

However, he confessed that around the age of 40, he faced a situation that was difficult to resolve through his own will and efforts alone. "I faced a desperate situation and did not know what to do," J.Y. Park recalled. He described the process of turning to God after losing his confidence.

Controversies regarding J.Y. Park's religion are not new. In 2018, when allegations arose linking him to the Salvation Sect, J.Y. Park refuted them, stating his Bible study group had no connection to the Salvation Sect organization and did not belong to any specific church or denomination. At the time, public attention focused on the debate regarding the nature of the group he was leading.

When appearing on MBC's Radio Star in 2020, he also explained that the group he operated was a Bible study group rather than a specific sect. Since then, the group has expanded under the name Firstfruits, and J.Y. Park has continued to give lectures on the Bible and doctrine through platforms such as YouTube.

Currently, the religious community is reviewing the related teachings. The Presbyterian Church of Korea (TongHap) is researching whether the teachings of J.Y. Park and Firstfruits possess heretical doctrinal characteristics. However, this is a stage of examining the contents, and no final judgment regarding heretical status has been made.

As J.Y. Park directly mentioned the controversy in this lecture, the religious debate surrounding Firstfruits is drawing attention again. While he has stated his position of accepting external criticism as persecution without mounting an organized response, interest is focused on what judgments and discussions will follow as the religious community's doctrinal review proceeds.

Read the original (Korean)