The pastor had been viewed as a saviour figure for decades with people calling him an “Asian Schindler” and his operations an “Underground Railroad” for those fleeing the North’s regime.
Police accused him of molesting six North Korean teenagers, including defectors sleeping in the dormitories of the alternative school he had founded at his Durihana mission.
“The victims are making consistent statements and it includes content that cannot be stated without first-hand experience of the circumstances”, Judge Seung-jeong Kim of the Seoul Central District Court said.
He was found guilty in five of six cases of abuse against the minors - some of whom had escaped alone and others with their families under the guidance of Chun’s mission.
He claims to have helped more than 1,000 North Koreans escape the hardline regime of the Kim family over the past 25 years, and has personally been condemned by Pyongyang for his work.
TV bulletins showed the grey-haired Chun in a white outfit being brought to court in handcuffs and flanked by guards.
The original article contains 371 words, the summary contains 171 words. Saved 54%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!