6/28/2021

The Case Of South Korea's Missing Frog Boys

On March 26, 1991, five innocent boys trek out into the woods. They never make it back. The police brushed it off, saying they'd simply run away. But when days turned into weeks with no sign of the boys, their parents decided to take matters into their own hands. The parents started a nation-wide search to trying to find their kids, and the story spread like wildfire. Soon all of South Korea was on a wild search, looking for the group who became known as "The Frog Boys" based off a report that they had originally been searching for frogs. 11 years goes by, and then one day, a hiker finally comes across the Frog Boys.

6/28/2021

The Case Of South Korea's Missing Frog Boys

On March 26, 1991, five innocent boys trek out into the woods. They never make it back. The police brushed it off, saying they'd simply run away. But when days turned into weeks with no sign of the boys, their parents decided to take matters into their own hands. The parents started a nation-wide search to trying to find their kids, and the story spread like wildfire. Soon all of South Korea was on a wild search, looking for the group who became known as "The Frog Boys" based off a report that they had originally been searching for frogs. 11 years goes by, and then one day, a hiker finally comes across the Frog Boys.

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Shincheonji:The Korean Cult Spreading More Than Covid

South Korean cult, Shincheonji, boasts nearly a quarter of a million members and 70 churches across the country. In 2020's first wave of COVID-19, more than half of the country’s confirmed cases linked to Shincheonji, and it quickly became evident this cult was spreading more than COVID. The investigation revealed coercive tactics used on members, including brainwashing and psychological manipulation. For example, Shincheonji’s style of mass worship packs 1,000 people in a room and forbids them to Google what the church is. Known to go to extreme lengths to gain new followers, recruiters admitted to unethical practices to get followers, including operating out of offices disguised as youth centers and inviting unaware Christains to join what they thought was a regular Bible study. This aggressive and disingenuous recruitment actually paid off, with 240,000 followers and twelve tribes. When Shincheonji’s leaders refused to cooperate with authorities, both withholding information and releasing false records of their members, they claimed they were being unfairly targeted as scapegoats. This prompted former members to come forward with stories revealing the insidious ways they indoctrinated and isolated members–specifically young people in their 20s. Other members deny all negative claims and have made it their goal to protect the cult. Will more unhealthy silence be broken, or will Shincheonji members continue to believe this is what service and community mean? Host & Producer Joy Jihyun Jeong Producer Stephanie Tangkilisan Editor-In-Chief Keshia Hannam Director of Photography Boya Sun Additional Research Ella Chi Editor Shakeeb Asrar Animator Samuel Salas & Fitra Pratama Sound Mix Ezound Studios Graphic Design Samuel Kang & Fitra Pratama & Annie Zhao

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The Case Of South Korea's Missing Frog Boys