PD Cho Sung-hyun has expressed his stance regarding the broadcast ban injunction filed by JMS.
In an interview with Maeil Business Star Today on the 4th, PD Cho Sung-hyun, who directed the Netflix documentary “I Am a Survivor,” stated, “Following ‘I Am God,’ JMS has also filed a broadcast ban injunction against ‘I Am a Survivor.’”
Set to be released on the 15th, “I Am a Survivor” is a sequel to “I Am God,” which was released in 2023, and covers incidents such as the MS and Busan Brothers Welfare Center, the Jisunpa case, and the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store.
PD Cho Sung-hyun explained, “JMS sent a content certification first, demanding that we do not air the broadcast. They said if we did not receive a response within a week, they would consider it as such, and then immediately filed for a broadcast ban injunction.” He added, “I heard that the church collected petitions from its members during worship services. This broadcast will be very distressing for them.”
He continued, “While ‘I Am God’ focused on one cult leader and a few of their accomplices committing sexual offenses, this time we aimed to show how deeply these accomplices can hide and operate.” He noted, “It’s difficult to discuss details as it is still in court, but this time, people with insider information have greatly assisted in the production. We will show ‘what kind of things cults can do while hiding behind public authority.’”
PD Cho Sung-hyun has experience directing “PD Notebook.” He mentioned that even for someone who has encountered numerous incidents, the content of this season was shocking. He said, “When I first encountered this content, I was so shocked that I thought, ‘Did this really happen?’ You will see how they gained power in society and how they manipulated and threatened their followers.”
He also revealed, “In fact, there is not just one broadcast ban injunction related to ‘I Am a Survivor.’ There has also been an injunction filed by someone claiming to be a former member of JMS.” He explained, “It seems they are certain they will appear in this documentary and are concerned about being portrayed negatively.”
Finally, PD Cho Sung-hyun emphasized, “We have not dealt with any false content. Everything is based on evidence, so I am not overly worried about the broadcast ban injunction. Surely, this work will not go unpublished. The previous season was also recognized for its public interest by the court. I believe the court will recognize even greater public interest for Season 2.”
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
