Due to the surprise appearance of a fake president during the Easter service, Yoido Full Gospel Church—one of South Korea’s largest churches—ended up exposing the true political nature of its pastor in front of many congregants. Through the testimony of a congregant who attended the service, I was able to see how Pastor So Kang-seok, who led the service that day, praised a dictator and incited the congregation, leading them to hell. Pastor Lee Young-hoon, who had supported the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, has a history of visiting North Korea, and it appears he acted according to their wishes at a critical moment. This is because, if one has been caught with some unknown weakness, one has no choice but to play the role they are expected to play rather than acting in good conscience before God.

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Witnessing the downfall of a megachurch that committed such apostasy, I couldn’t help but feel that perhaps the “trial by fire” that true churches in South Korea must pass through has arrived. Over the past year, since President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, Korean churches have divided into two camps. The majority of churches remained silent, while an elder from Incheon Onnuri Church served as a lawmaker for a party crafting anti-Christian policies, leading many Christians into temptation. Moreover, he has been a figure of particular attention since 2020, as he is a central figure in the election fraud allegations raised by former lawmaker Min Kyung-wook.

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I, too, had once supported him, deceived by the false news in major media outlets and his fresh image as a political newcomer and former president of Incheon International Airport. However, upon looking into it further, I discovered he had been parachuted into the position of president of Incheon International Airport during the Moon Jae-in administration. While there is nothing inherently wrong with a politician serving as a church elder, his role in crafting anti-Christian policies and legislation while overseeing church governance went beyond a conflict of interest—it led to a clash of values. To take the lead in destroying families and churches through the Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Act, while attending Sunday worship services and praying to God to protect the church and its members, is no different from a robber harming innocent residents and stealing their belongings, only to pray the next day for their protection.

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Watching certain “political pastors” from large churches—who claim that politics and religion must be separated yet actually abuse religion as a political tool—I sensed that the rebuke they will face from God on Judgment Day will by no means be light. The communist leftist forces that have slowly eroded the Korean church over a long period are now taking the lead in enacting evil laws that destroy freedom, without any regard for public opinion. Of course, the majority of Christians were either unaware of these developments or failed to grasp the gravity of the situation, but following President Yoon Suk-yeol’s martial law incident, they were gradually awakening to the truth, one by one.

This reminded me of the fate of Nadab and Abihu, who were put to death for offering “unauthorized fire” on the altar where only holy fire for God was to be placed, and I resolved to wake up and worship God in spirit and in truth, starting with myself.