The actor Kang Ji Sub openly addressed his reported connections to the Christian Gospel Mission, or JMS, explaining he did not know about the nature of the group when he initially got involved.

During the Aug. 11 episode of MBN's Dr. Oh's Stay, Kang discussed reports connecting him to JMS, the religious organization that has been depicted in the 2023 Netflix documentary In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal.

"I thought I was on the right path, but it turned out to be the wrong one. Because of my ignorance, I ended up being stigmatized," Kang explained.

"I went there seeking peace of mind. I did not want to fall into a harmful place, but I did not know that is what it was. At one point, I even thought my acting career might end because of this."

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Kang said he had his initial contact with the group in his college days when a person approached him in the street and recommended that he become a model.

This resulted in numerous meetings and Bible study invitations. "Right from the start, there were strange things," Kang said, referencing unusual religious practices, such as re-hyms of trot songs.

Though skeptical, he said the members' educational achievements and seeming sincerity reassured him.

He claimed he had not gone since about 2017, but the attention of the public was back after the show ran on Netflix.

Speculation heightened after one of his paintings attributed to JMS was observed in his residence during a 2022 tvN show and following the appearance of a 2012 social media update where he seemed to wish the leader of the group a happy birthday.

"I received comments accusing me of being involved with the leader, asking how many women I had 'offered," Kang said.

"Friends who used to contact me regularly stopped reaching out. Every day, I woke up in fear, wondering why I was misunderstood like this."

The furor, Kang explained, affected his family. "My sister and mother cried a lot. They worried I might do something extreme," he said.

He attempted to clear suspicion by burning the painting, but the action only fueled more rumors.

"I realized nothing I did could change their minds, so I just stopped talking." Kang said.

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