Netflix’s “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal” featured an audio clip from Maple Yip, the main accuser against President Jung Myung Seok. This audio recording was produced by Maple, who claimed that she secretly recorded this while being raped by President Jung. The recording purports to show President Jung asking Maple if she had “cummed”, and President Jung saying that he had “cummed” a grand total of 50 times.
There are several striking problems with the audio.
First, the audio is not accepted as evidence by the Korean court in the ongoing court trial against President Jung, as the Korean National Forensic Service confirmed that as the audio file is not the original copy and that the audio’s authenticity cannot be proven (see here). As the recording was not an original file, the court asked Maple for the original file so that they could verify the authenticity of the file. However, Maple was unable to produce the original audio file. She claims that she lost the original audio file because she transferred the files from her original phone onto iCloud, and then downloaded the files from the cloud onto her new phone, and after which she got rid of her original phone (see here). However, it is unthinkable that Maple would go to all the pains of making a secret recording and then dispose of the handphone, which is the very piece of evidence that is needed to prove that the recording was genuine (see here).
Second, there are multiple analyses showing that Maple’s audio was in fact manipulated. There is a video analysis (see here) showing how parts of Maple’s audio was in fact cut from President Jung sermons where he was speaking about love, but in a completely different context (about spiritual love, not sex). There is also a report from an authoritative voice related research institute (MuScene Voice Forensic Laboratory) that has served the US Secret Service, FBI, CIA amongst others. It used various waveform data analytics and confirmed that the voice recording was edited in a disjointed fashion and that it was not downloaded from iCloud (see here).
Finally, there are also eyewitnesses (see here) who confirmed that the audio about President Jung stating that he had “cummed” 50 times was actually an audio recording from 2018 when President Jung jokingly mentioned that he had urinated 50 times as he had drunk so much mineral water (the Korean word for “urinated” is the same as for “cummed”), and where President Jung had stated that he would often check the mineral spring to see if the mineral water was “coming out” properly. In the same video earlier, an eyewitness also said that she noticed Maple recording the remarks from President Jung next to the medicinal spring, and pointed out how Maple took it out of context and manipulated it to make it seem as though President Jung was asking how many times she had “come” (the Korean word for “coming out” is the same as “cum”).
Anybody claiming that the audio clip is true needs to be asked:
Were they at the alleged scene of the rape? If not, they are not a witness to the truth of this audio recording and are merely spreading what another has claimed.
Are they a certified forensic or audio expert? If not, they have no way of verifying if this audio recording is original or not. Leave it to the experts (e.g., Korea National Forensic and MuScene Forensic)
This video is a summary of all the problematic issues with the current trial, including the odd fact that in spite of claims of the accusers do not have any other form of evidence but this problematic audio file. (See here)
Thank you for examining both sides, and we believe that God will bring the truth to light.
It is hard to imagine that in the 21st century, witch hunts and lynch mobs still occur.
But it is happening right now–to Christian Gospel Mission, also known as Providence, or JMS.
A small group of anti-Providence activists, led by Kim Do Hyung, have used the modern age witch hunting tools of press conferences, mainstream media (e.g., news outlets like JTBC and MBC in Korea), social media, streaming services (e.g., Netflix), and audio editing tools to condemn Providence and its founder Pastor Jung Myung Seok as a criminal organization.
This is not the first time it has happened. Even in the 2008/2009 trial, the same Kim Do Hyung had used similar tools (press conferences, media) to start a witch hunt of Providence, influencing the court trials and resulting in Pastor Jung’s conviction, despite there being no concrete evidence and even contradictory verbal claims from accusers.
SERIOUS DOXXING IS HAPPENING
Many articles are published about how doxxing is morally wrong and dangerous, yet, it is an increasingly common social phenomenon. Doxxing is a tactic used by online hate groups to destroy more than just a person’s online presence, but their job, their house and personal property, their family and friends, their bodily safety. (see article)
Providence members are being doxxed. With their identities exposed and published online, they are shamed and condemned. This includes K-pop stars, families, public servants, and business owners. Ordinary, law abiding citizens who contribute positively to the society are seeing their lives torn apart by the doxxing.
Whoever speaks up for Providence is also doxxed. In any criminal case, the accused has the right to an attorney. This is not only a right afforded to them by many Constitutions but also common sense. After all, in a system where the prosecution must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, an attorney can be essential in ensuring that the defendant’s rights are protected. (see here.) Yet, the law firm that was hired by Providence to defend its case had to quit out of public pressure because the lawyers defending Providence had their identities revealed online, and they received flaming from the public for being corrupt and out for profit. (see here.)
Even an influential Korean YouTuber Kim Won Hee is being harassed by MBC and the public for speaking out against the one-sided claims against Providence. (see here.) Kim Won Hee is being accused of “secondary victimisation” although what he is doing is scrutinising the “evidences” provided by Netflix and Maple – that is not secondary victimisation.
THE COURT IS INFLUENCED BY PUBLIC OPINION
How can it be that the Attorney General has already said publicly that he will ensure Pastor Jung gets a heavy sentence for his crimes, when the court trial is still ongoing?
How is it that the judge, after watching the Netflix series when it was released mid-trial, could suddenly make decisions like not wanting to hear all 22 testimonies defending Pastor Jung but reducing it to only 5 people and a 3 hour slot? (In comparison, each accuser was given at least half a day to testify.) Why is the court pandering to public opinion instead of focusing on the veracity of the evidence provided?
STOP THE WITCH HUNT
If one believes that Pastor Jung is indeed guilty, then let the courts examine the evidence objectively, and let God judge him. Instead, many are trying to play judge and God. There is already a long list of explanations to show how the evidence presented in the courts are highly questionable. (See videos below)
Please stop this 21st century witch hunt, and let the trial take place fairly. That is all we ask.
Turn on closed captions (subtitles) for English if needed:
The documentary broadcast by Netflix contains an audio recording by an ex-CGM member, Maple Yip, who claimed that she had secretly recorded the audio while being raped by President Jung. Based on the findings of an independent forensic laboratory, there is strong evidence to show that Maple Yip, who provided the audio recording, had lied about the source of the recording. Further analysis also shows that the recording itself had been edited and is not authentic.
The recording purports to show President Jung asking Maple if she had cum, and President Jung saying that he had cummed 50 times. It had been submitted as proof in the Korean court and also used as the key evidence in the Netflix series.
In order to ascertain the authenticity of the audio recording, Taiwan CGM engaged an authoritative voice-related research institute [(U.S. business-related) MuScene Voice Forensic Laboratory] to conduct forensic testing on the recording. The (U.S. business-related) MuScene Voice Forensic Laboratory is an impartial third-party laboratory commissioned by law enforcement agencies for identification, investigation, and laboratory testing. It conducts inspections commissioned by the courts, prosecution agencies, and national security teams (the military) from all around Taiwan and the US (including CIA, FBI, State Department, Secret Service). It has a rich academic base, a large amount of forensics hands-on experience, and cutting-edge technical knowledge. It is an authoritative research institute that conducts in-depth research on sound synthesis and modulation testing and identification, sound signal enhancement, acoustic fingerprint-sound identification, file conversion and sound compression through scientific research, and data analysis methods.
After detailed analysis using waveform data analytics, the results revealed that the voice recording was edited in a disjointed fashion. It also revealed that the audio was not downloaded from iCloud, contrary to Maple’s claim that she had lost the original file but retrieved the backed up copy from iCloud (where iPhone-generated media data are backed up). The forensic report showed that the voice recording used in the Netflix film did not have formatting or characteristics of iPhone origins and was not downloaded from iCloud. Audio files that are recorded using an iPhone app or the default audio recorder would contain inherent characteristics, but the Netflix voice recording does not have any of those characteristics.
Here is the detailed forensic analysis:
On March 3, 2023 Netflix released the documentary In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal. In the 3rd episode of the series, titled JMS, Messiah with electronic anklets, from the 40:00 to 41:07 mark, an audio file claimed by Maple Yip to be the recording of an alleged sexual assault (henceforth called “Netflix Maple audio file”) was examined for authenticity by a third-party Voice Forensic Laboratory, and compared with the audio file previously aired by Korean media JTBC News on July 12, 2022 Jung Myung Seok Voice Files (정명석 ‘육성파일’) (henceforth called “JTBC News audio file”). The following are the findings:
Evidence that Netflix Maple lied about the source of the audio file that was produced and broadcaston the Netflix platform
1. An environmental sound spectrum evaluation revealed a dark band at 8 kHz which would not be generated in the room mode* of a spatial environment. The spectrogram above 8 kHz was also very clean with no traces of spatial noise found in normal spatial recordings. Hence, it is inferred that the original frequency response of the Netflix Maple audio file should be 8 kHz and the sample rate should be 16 kHz. (Figure 1)
Figure 1: The sound spectrum of Netflix Maple audio file.
2. During the South Korean court trial on February 13, 2023, Maple claimed that the audio file was uploaded to iCloud for backup before the phone was sold. It is reasonable to infer that Maple had used an iPhone to record the audio. However, according to the spectrum data verified by the Voice Forensic Laboratory, it can be seen that the frequency response of the Netflix Maple audio file is not consistent with 16 kHz and that this evidence (Figure 2) is also inconsistent with the iPhone native app recording spectrogram characteristics (Figure 3). It can be confirmed that the recorded file of the Netflix Maple audio file was not recorded by an iPhone native app.
Figure 2. Spectrum diagram of Netflix Maple audio file verified by the Voice Forensic Laboratory
Figure 3. Spectrum diagram of the iPhone native app, which is characterized by a frequency response that can only reach 16 kHz
3. There are two main conversion methods for digital audio files: resample** or convert. The conversion method used by Netflix’s professional audio-visual platform is mostly “resample”. Aside from Netflix’s conversion of the Netflix Maple audio file using their professional audio-visual platform to resample, it is assessed that before being provided to the Netflix platform, the file had gone through “convert”. The sampling rate was likely to be 16 kHz, then converted to 44.1 kHz, finally resampled to a 48 kHz audio file by Netflix’s post-production. The sound spectrum characteristics of a typical “resampled” file using professional audio-visual post-production software is shown in Figure 4, while the sound spectrum characteristics of a “converted” file is shown in Figure 5. The sound spectrum characteristics of Netflix Maple audio file is shown in Figure 6, which is similar to Figure 5, but not similar to Figure 4. This evidence shows that the Netflix Maple audio file had gone through “convert” processing, and it cannot be ruled out that the file could have been modified or edited. Hence, it is doubtful that one could show or restore the content of the original recording of the Netflix Maple audio file.
Figure 4: The special sound spectrum characteristics of “resample”
Figure 5. The sound spectrum of “convert” will generate mirrored sound information
Figure 6: Spectrum diagram of the Netflix Maple audio file [Footnote 1]
Comparing the recording content of the Netflix Maple audio file with JTBC News, the recording content of the second audio file raises suspicion that the Netflix Maple audio file had been altered.
The JTBC News audio file was originally “God chose you like this; it is God’s will.” In the Netflix Maple audio file, the last sentence was deleted, and the content was changed to “God chose you like this, so don’t touch other people’s… ” at the 40:59 mark of the Netflix series (Video timing of 0:11‒0:21 in Footnote 2’s link)
The JTBC News audio file was originally “Don’t touch other people’s “this”, because it belongs to God. Do you understand? God is the teacher’s, and it is God’s will. Do you understand? This is God’s will.” Then, the Netflix Maple audio file was changed to “Don’t let others touch this (woman’s moaning sound added) because this is God’s (woman’s moaning sound added).” (Video time 0:30‒1:39 in Footnote 3’s link)
The JTBC News audio file was originally “Don’t touch other people’s this, because it is from God. Do you understand?” A male responded with “네” (yes), but the Netflix Maple audio file deleted the male’s response and added a woman’s moaning” (Footnote 2 video time 2:09‒2:17, note 3 video time 1:40‒2:15)
At 40:31 and 40:32 in the Netflix Maple audio file, in addition to the sound of “쌌어?” (Have you had diarrhea/cummed?)”, there were two consecutive male exhalation sounds at the same time. In the same span of time and space, a person cannot simultaneously exhale while speaking. So it is reasonable to infer that there was a third person at the audio scene of the alleged sexual assault. (Video time 2:16‒2:56 in Footnote 3)
Conclusion
The above mentioned frequency spectrum analysis showed that Maple had lied about the source of the audio recording, which was not from an iPhone. This is of particular significance because she had attempted to admit this recording as the only physical evidence of the alleged crime, but the Korean legal forensic team were unable to verify the authenticity of the recording, as the original iPhone that Maple allegedly recorded the audio was no longer available. The detailed analysis clearly showed that the recording was never recorded on an iPhone and that it had undergone multiple stages of resampling and conversion. Further analysis of the audio waveform itself clearly showed that this audio file is not authentic and has been edited. It cannot be used as evidence, let alone be used to guide public understanding of what actually happened.
* A room mode is essentially a “bump” in a room’s frequency response that is facilitated by the room’s dimensions and the way those dimensions cause soundwaves to interact with each other. There are three types of room modes: axial, tangential and oblique.
**Resampling, in terms of audio files, is also known as Sample Rate Conversion. This is done when you need to convert a digital audio file from a given sample rate into a different sample rate. Sample rate is the number of samples of audio carried per second, measured in Hz or kHz (one kHz being 1,000 Hz).
[Footnote 1] This recording file has been verified by forensic laboratories. The dark band with a frequency of 8 kHz in the sound spectrum is not present in the room mode* of a spatial environment.
