The Dami Mission was an apocalyptic religious movement founded in South Korea in 1987 by former Presbyterian minister Lee Jang Rim. Officially registered as the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary, the group grew rapidly and eventually claimed about 20,000 followers. At its height, it operated more than 300 churches, with international branches in major U.S. cities including Los Angeles and New York.
The movement’s theology centered on a prediction that the Rapture and the end of the world would occur on October 28, 1992. Lee promoted the prophecy widely through sermons and publications, most notably his 1988 book Getting Close to the End, and through advertisements placed in major newspapers.
According to Dami Mission doctrine, exactly 144,000 believers would be taken into heaven at midnight on the appointed date. Those left behind would experience seven years of war, famine, and suffering, drawing on interpretations of the Book of Revelation. This period of tribulation would culminate in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the destruction of all life on Earth.
As the predicted date approached, the prophecy triggered a crisis in South Korea. Many followers sold their homes, quit their jobs or schools, and severed ties with family members in preparation for ascension. Media reports described extreme actions, including a woman who terminated a seven-month pregnancy because she believed it would interfere with the end times. Authorities linked at least four suicides to the movement, and the South Korean military reported an increase in desertions and early discharge requests among soldiers influenced by Lee’s teachings.
Similar consequences were reported in overseas branches. In Los Angeles, follower Chang-Young Mun, died on September 8, 1992, after a 40-day fast that resulted in severe malnutrition. His death intensified public concern and renewed calls for government scrutiny of the movement. Although law enforcement initially hesitated to intervene due to concerns about religious freedom, public pressure led to a formal investigation.
In September 1992, Lee was arrested on charges of fraud and illegal possession of $26,711 in U.S. currency. Investigators determined that Lee had collected roughly $4.4 million from followers, much of which had been invested in government bonds scheduled to mature in May 1993, several months after the predicted end of the world. Prosecutors cited this timing as evidence that Lee did not personally expect the prophecy to be fulfilled.
Despite Lee’s arrest, around 1,000 followers gathered at the mission’s headquarters in Seoul on the night of October 28, 1992. Authorities, concerned about the possibility of mass suicides, deployed approximately 1,500 riot police and hundreds of detectives to the area. Emergency vehicles were placed on standby, windows were barred, and roof access was blocked as a precaution.
Inside the church, believers knelt on cushions, sang hymns, and raised their arms in anticipation. When midnight passed without incident, tension rose. About ten minutes later, a teenager reportedly shouted from a window that nothing had happened. Television footage showed followers leaving the building in visible distress or anger. The event later became known in South Korea as the “Rapture Scare of 1992.”
In November 1992, Lee formally dissolved the Dami Mission and issued a public apology from prison. One month later, he was convicted of fraud and sentenced to two years in prison. After his release, Lee established a much smaller church and publicly renounced his earlier apocalyptic teachings. He later described the 1992 prophecy as a misinterpretation of Christian eschatology.
Key Sources:
The Independent. (1992, December 5). Doomsday preacher jailed.
Roh, J. (2025, October 28). The rapture scare of the Dami Mission. Korea JoongAng Daily.
Watanabe, T. (1992, October 29). No Doomsday Rapture for S. Korea Sect. The Los Angeles Times.
Watanabe, T. (1992, September 28). Apocalyptic Movement Stirs Social Crisis in South Korea. The Los Angeles Times.
Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religious Movements 