Editing Victory Altar

{{Short description|Controversial South Korean religious group}}
[[File:Cho Hee-Seung.jpg|thumb|The group's founding leader Cho Hee Sung]]'''Victory Altar''' ({{Korean|hangul=승리제단|rr=Seungnijedan|mr=Sŭngnijedan}}) is a South Korean religious movement that has often been characterized as a [[cult]]. The mainstream [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denominations in South Korea reportedly consider it to be [[Heresy|heretical]] ({{Korean|hangul=이단|labels=no}}). It was founded in 1981 in [[Bucheon]], [[Gyeonggi Province|Gyeonggi]], South Korea by Cho Hee Sung ({{Korean|hangul=조희성|labels=no}}). It is also known by the name '''Yeongsaeng-gyo''' ({{Korean|hangul=영생교|labels=no}}).

== Description ==

=== Founding ===
According to ''[[The Hankyoreh]]'', the group's website says that Cho originally attended a [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] church in [[Gimpo]].<ref name=":2" /> He was eventually taken prisoner by the [[Korean People's Army|North Korean People's Army]] during the [[Korean War]]. After his release, he committed himself further to religion and decided to attend the [[Daehan Theological University|Daehan Theological Seminary & University]]. Afterwards, he served as an officer in the [[Republic of Korea Armed Forces|South Korean Armed Forces]] and allegedly established seven middle and high schools and several churches. Cho suffered from lung and ear diseases, but was allegedly miraculously cured after meeting Park Tae Son, the founding leader of the [[Olive Tree (religious movement)|Olive Tree religious movement]]. Following this, on October 15, 1980, he claimed to have completely eliminated evil in himself and claimed to have begun a movement to save humanity.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=조 |first=현 |date=2021-02-10 |title=부천 집단감염 진원지 '영생교'…15명 '집단 암매장' 전력 |trans-title=The Epicenter of Mass Infection in Bucheon, 'Yeongsaenggyo'... History of the Secret Burial of 15 People |url=https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/religious/982611.html |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=[[The Hankyoreh]] |language=ko}}</ref><ref name=":2" />

The group was founded and led by Cho in 1981 in Bucheon, Gyeonggi as "Yeongsaeng-gyo The Lord's Crusade Victory Altar" ({{Korean|hangul=영생교 하나님의 성회 승리제단|labels=no}}).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2021-02-09 |title='20명 집단 감염' 승리제단, 어떤 곳? 1981년 창설 영생교…"정부 방침 따랐다" |trans-title=What Kind of Place is Victory Altar, Where '20 People Were Infected'? Established in 1981 as Yeongsaenggyo, It "Followed Government Regulations" |url=https://www.donga.com/news/Culture/article/all/20210209/105362074/1 |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=[[The Dong-a Ilbo]] |language=ko}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

=== Beliefs ===
''The Hankyoreh'' also claims that the group believes Cho was a supernatural [[messiah]] (or it claims, equivalently, [[the Buddha]]), and that following him would earn people the power to heal diseases and everlasting life. The newspaper reported that some of its members believed Cho was still alive, even in 2021.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> According to ''[[The Dong-a Ilbo|The Dong-A Ilbo]]'', the group believes that God is the progenitor of mankind, and that people have become corrupted,<ref name=":1" /> resulting in the change of their skin color.<ref name=":0" />

''The Hankyoreh'' also claimed that the group pledged five goals: to eliminate communism from the world, to end the [[Monsoon|summer monsoon]] season, prevent [[typhoon]]s, ensure good harvests, and prevent war from breaking out in Korea.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

Mainstream Protestant denominations in South Korea consider the group to be heretical.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Cho |first=Hyun |date=2021-02-11 |title=Controversial religious group at epicenter of COVID-19 cluster in Bucheon |url=https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/982744.html |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=[[The Hankyoreh]]}}</ref>

=== Controversy ===
In 1994, Cho was arrested for fraudulent donations. In 1998, he was sentenced to serve time in prison.<ref name=":0" />

In 2003, the group gained infamy when police investigated the disappearance of 15 of its followers. Police eventually found human remains buried in the church's garden. Cho, who was then serving a six-year prison sentence, was again charged with fraud, exploitation of labor, and illegal detention. In 2004, he was eventually sentenced to death, along with two other church members. Before his execution however, he died of a heart attack in August 2004.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

Since Cho's death in 2004, the group has been led by Lee Yeong-ja ({{Korean|hangul=이영자|labels=no}}) {{As of|2021|February|lc=y}}.<ref name=":0" />

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea|COVID-19 pandemic]] in South Korea, ''The Dong-A Ilbo'' reported that the group agreed to not host in-person services between January 16, 2020 and February 18, 2021. The group also claimed it would maintain strict social distancing during any gatherings it would hold, with less than 10% occupation in worship spaces. However, according to the Bucheon government, on February 9, 20 people were confirmed to have the disease with 16 cases at a male dormitory it operated, 1 in a female dormitory, 2 in a factory where its members worked, and 1 in its orchestra.<ref name=":0" /> The following day, ''The Hankyoreh'' reported that, of an investigation of 273 people affiliated with the church, 53 people were confirmed to have the disease. That day, the group released a public apology, promising full cooperation with the government to manage the spread of the disease.<ref name=":1" />

== See also ==

* [[Shincheonji Church of Jesus]]
* [[Unification Church]]
* [[Good News Mission]]
* [[Manmin Central Church]]
* [[Providence (religious movement)]]
* [[Evangelical Baptist Church of Korea]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{official website|http://www.victoryaltar.org/}}
*[https://victor.or.kr/ Official Website (Korean)]
{{Christianity in Korea}}

[[Category:Christian new religious movements]]
[[Category:Religious organizations based in South Korea]]
[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1981]]
[[Category:1981 establishments in South Korea]]
[[Category:Self-declared messiahs]]