Where is Kim Ki-soon Now? We discuss the controversial Founder of Baby Garden and where the Cult Leader is today in 2023.
In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal is a true crime documentary series from Netflix. The controversial show takes a deep dive into four of South Korea’s most infamous cult leaders and received opposition on news of its release.
Legal injunctions failed, though, and Netflix won the right to show the series globally. In one of the episodes of the series, they look at Baby Garden Cult Leader Kim Ki-soon, a follower that turned prophet of her own sect that advocated for love. However, as the show looks beneath the surface of the activities, the truth is slowly unearthed, revealing a terrifying and insidious charade that includes brainwashing and murder. We take a look at Baby Garden founder Kim Ki-soon in 2023.
Who is Kim Ki-soon?
Kim Ki-soon founded the Baby Garden, a Christianity Cult based in South Korea. Kim Ki-soon was initially a follower of Pastor Lee Kyo-bu. He would state that Kim had lost her parents early in her life, and she would long for glory and honor.
When this Cult Leader was arrested and jailed, Kim Ki-soon took on his role. She would claim that Lee Kyo-bu had encouraged her to take his place, and it would not take long for her to establish herself as a religious leader.
In 1982 her popularity rose, and she became the Founder of Baby Garden. As a Founder, she would impose strict rules on her disciples, including unmarried couples not being allowed to sleep together and making those involved in her cult into manual laborers.
Kim Ki-soon bought land and created a compound, forcing those that she ensnared to live and work inside it. Her empire would grow, and she would also become owner of a record company, making her plenty of money. However, by 1996, cracks would start to show, and a prosecutor would be tipped off about abuse and murders that had occurred within her cult.
Where is Kim Ki-soon Now?
It would transpire that the murders and abuse involved members of Baby Garden that tried to leave or started to question what was happening. In one alleged situation, Kim Ki-soon learned her son had feelings for a young female in the compound. This resulted in the apparent murder of the girl. Another incident would concern the murder of Nak-gwi, a young boy that Kim Ki-soon said was possessed. He was held captive in a pigpen and beaten.
Nak-gwi would ultimately die after the horrific conditions that were forced upon him. Authorities raided the compound, and the cult leader fled the scene before eventually handing herself over to the police, denying knowledge of all the charges against her.
However, the initial source would soon retract their statement against the cult leader, and bodies were not found, and the mother of Nak-gwi corroborated a story that the child had died of a heart attack.
By 1998, the case would lead to the imprisonment of Kim Ki-soon, and she would also receive a fine. The sentence was extended to four years, and Founder was released after paying the fine.
Kim Ki-Soon has since returned to Baby Garden and is still there in 2023.
Is Kim Ki-Soon Alive or Dead?
The Cult Leader is alive — after being released from prison, Kim Ki-soon would return to her compound, and as there are no updates on the situation and no public announcements, it seems she is alive in 2023.
