When and Which Countries Did JMS Jung Myung-seok Visit?

Faith of the Believers

Regarding Jung Myung-seok’s life abroad that began in 1999, the JMS sect claimed it was “overseas missionary work.”
Unlike media reports describing it as “fugitive life,” the church asserted that the “Lord’s chosen” Jung Myung-seok was secretly fulfilling God’s will as foretold in the Bible.
Believers accepted this explanation and tried to understand it as part of “Providence history.”

Even while Jung was abroad, media reports never ceased.
Every time he entered a new country, new sexual assault allegations followed.
Inside JMS, however, the narrative was the opposite: each location he visited became the subject of faith-building stories, and sermons and gatherings delivered emotional testimonies to followers.

Instead of directly denying the sexual scandals that had continued since 1999, JMS built a myth around Jung Myung-seok, solidifying the frame of “he would never do such a thing.”

“During the past 10 years abroad, the Teacher walked with the Lord. He told the disciples who witnessed these things at each place to record them all. They are writing and sending them to the Teacher.
If they record and send what they saw well, the Teacher will compile them into a book. He will enlighten and pray more so they can testify.
Everyone should record what they saw, whether in Korea or abroad, and send it. The Teacher has experienced so much that he has forgotten many things, so those who witnessed them must record and send what they saw.
When writing and sending what you’ve seen and heard, make sure to record the core points.”

The King of Peace, Ju Sarang Christmas, December 25, 2011

According to JMS sermons, there were so many stories of his overseas experiences that they could fill a book.
Yet, more than a decade later, these stories have never been compiled.
There’s a clear reason for that.

Overseas Travel Records

Jung Myung-seok indeed visited a large number of countries.
The reason his overseas experiences have not been compiled into a book is not due to a lack of material — in fact, recounting the stories country by country could fill hours of narration.

The real issue emerges when the events are arranged chronologically.
To link Jung Myung-seok’s visits to Europe with JMS’s interpretation of history, a timeline is essential.
However, his stays in Europe were extremely brief, and the major episodes are concentrated within a very short period.

• January 1999: Hong Kong
• February 1999: Germany, visit to Anna Church
• May 1999: Japan (Chiba) tour, Singapore tour, Hong Kong evangelism event
• June 1999: Entry into Korea (interrogated for one day on the 23rd), visit to Kyushu
• July 1999: Hong Kong (SBS Unanswered Questions interview), San Diego, USA
• August 1999: France (Nostradamus prophecy, 1st GACP event)
• October 1999: Milan, Italy
• February 2000: Italy
• March 2000: Interrogated upon reentry into Korea
• April 2000: Stuttgart, Germany — 3rd GACP event
• September 2000: Cambridge, UK — GACP event
• November 2000: Sri Lanka — honorary degree in alternative medicine
• December 2000: Malaysia
• January 2001: Hokkaido, Tokyo, Chiba, Hyogo, Fukuoka
• February 2001: Interrogated in Korea, “Touching the Heart” on the 25th
• March–April 2001: Taiwan visit, meeting with Chen Shui-bian, GACP, leadership meeting
• July 2001: San Francisco, USA
• Early August 2001: Hawaii — World Peace Exchange (WPE)
• Mid August 2001: Osaka, Chiba
• Late August 2001: Malaysia (sexual assault incident)
• September 2001: Port Dickson Beach
• Late December 2001: Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, Yamanashi
• Early January 2002: Yamanashi
• Late June 2002: Chiba, Kanagawa — attended World Cup Final and Closing Ceremony
• Late July 2002: Chiba
• September 2002: Passport confiscated in Hong Kong
• February 2003: Hong Kong incident
• April 2003: Valley cleanup in Hong Kong
• July 2003: Mosquito net incident — arrested, paid fine, released on bail
• After July 2003: Entered China without a passport
• April 2006: China Taekwondo incident
• July 2006: Mongolia, “Myeonggasu” (the parrot’s name)
• April 2007: Moved to Beijing
• May 2007: Arrested by Chinese public security authorities

(Due to the limitations of the available materials, it was not possible to determine the exact timing of visits to Australia and New Zealand.)

A review of the timeline shows that Jung Myung-seok spent most of his time in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. In contrast, his visits to Europe were limited to between 1999 and 2000 — at most around two years. Even during this period, he frequently traveled to Asian countries, so his actual stay in Europe is estimated to be less than a year and a half.

European Mission and History of Providence (JMS)

Why is the short duration of the European mission a problem? According to JMS doctrine, the period after 1999 is called the “Tomb Period.” During this time, the “missionary” is said to enter Europe — described as a spiritual tomb — to spread the gospel.

(Within JMS, Europe is seen as a “spiritual tomb” because it is considered a region where the original faith has died.)

The minimum length of the “Tomb Period” is three years and six months. This is significantly longer than Jung’s actual stay, creating a doctrinal inconsistency. The discrepancy becomes even greater when compared to the nearly 10 years he spent abroad overall.

In many JMS sermons and gatherings, the exact dates of events are not clearly stated. The few exceptions are stories like the Nostradamus prophecy or the visit to the Duomo Cathedral. Because of this, if someone repeatedly hears stories that only mention “places visited,” they may easily form a false impression — such as believing that Jung stayed in Europe from 1999 to 2005, occasionally visited Asia, Australia, or the U.S., and then moved to China around 2006.

However, this is very different from the actual timeline. The European mission lasted at most about a year and a half, with no notable evangelical results. If a “missionary” had truly visited the “spiritual tomb” of Europe, one would expect a Christian revival across the continent — but there was no such sign.

Overseas Mission Without a Passport

JMS claims that Jung Myung-seok went abroad for missionary work.
The organization’s historical narrative further reinforced this claim by emphasizing the symbolic significance of the European mission.
However, when examining Jung’s actual travel history, it becomes clear that he spent only about a year and a half in Europe.
This period is extremely short compared to the multiple “Tomb Periods” described in JMS doctrine — a fatal contradiction in its teachings.

There are clear cracks in JMS’s religious narrative that Jung went overseas for missionary work.
In contrast, the media’s claims that he fled overseas were based on tangible, documented circumstances.

A representative example is the September 2002 passport confiscation incident.
His passport was seized by Hong Kong authorities, after which he became an illegal resident.
In July 2003, facing the risk of deportation to Korea, he moved to China.
Since these movements occurred without a valid passport, the media speculated that he had relied on brokers to cross borders illegally.

“JMS 없는 곳이 없다” 정명석 도피 도운 엘리트들