# In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal (2023)

> A Korean true crime docuseries exposes four self-proclaimed prophets and the followers who trusted them.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/138407

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 8
- Episode runtime: 52 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: documentary, crime
- Created by: Jo Seong-hyeon
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Jeong Myeong-seok
- TMDB rating: 7.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26340363/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: sober, intense, disturbing, unsettling, somber

## Synopsis

In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal (2023) is a South Korean true crime docuseries created by Jo Seong-hyeon for Netflix. Told in eight episodes of roughly fifty-two minutes each, this limited series examines four Korean leaders who claimed to be prophets and who built communities around their authority. Rather than following a single protagonist, it moves from one case to the next, assembling archive footage, the recollections of former believers, and the mechanics of how these men gathered followers, drew money from them, and kept their doubts in check. The engine of each episode is the gap between the promise of salvation and the reality the followers later uncovered, with investigators and survivors revealing how unquestioning belief became a shield for abuse. Jeong Myeong-seok appears in archival material, anchoring the series in the historical record. The tone is sober, intense and often disturbing, with a documentary realism that avoids sensationalism while lingering on the human cost. Its structure follows the case-by-case investigative format of a true crime docuseries. Viewers who appreciate Wild Wild Country, Going Clear and The Vow will find a similar interest in charismatic manipulation, institutional deception and the psychology of belief. It suits viewers drawn to unsettling real-world stories about faith gone wrong.

## Shows like In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal

- [Trust Me: The False Prophet (2026)](https://ember.film/tv/1104973)
- [The Echoes of Survivors: Inside Korea's Tragedies (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/196084)
- [Pray, Obey, Kill (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/89111)
- [Marcial Maciel: The Wolf of God (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/202159)
- [The Congregation (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/113259)
- [Save Me (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/63358)
- [The Vow (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/44704)
- [Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/125976)
- [House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/110110)
- [John of God: The Crimes of a Spiritual Healer (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/107652)

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