What witnesses’ testimonies and marine observation data say about the truth of the events
On August 15, 1995, at Mongsan Beach in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, and on September 10, 2001, at Port Dickson Beach in Malaysia, something unprecedented occurred. The seawater — which had been rising and falling with its regular, predictable rhythm — stopped for a period of time. Countless people who were present at those locations on those days remember them as the days the tide stopped coming in.
Even now, more than twenty years later, this strange phenomenon of “tidal suspension” has not been reproduced even once. Was it a sign? Or a rare natural occurrence? Based on testimonies received from witnesses who are members of the Christian Gospel Mission and marine observation data, we examine the events at Mongsan Beach and Port Dickson on the days the tide stood still.
Background: Signs and Natural Phenomena
Interpreting specific natural phenomena or dramatic experiences as divine intervention is common in religious communities. The most well-known example is the “miracle of Moses” recorded in Exodus 14 in the Old Testament — where the sea parted when Moses raised his staff and the Israelites crossed on dry ground. Christian believers view this as a symbol of God’s protection and guidance, while a critical perspective interprets it as an exaggerated tradition or a misunderstanding of a natural phenomenon.
In this connection, in 2010, researcher Carl Drews of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) explained that when a strong east wind blows over shallow waters for a sufficient period of time, a “wind setdown” phenomenon can occur in which the water is pushed to both sides, exposing a land passage. (Dynamics of Wind Setdown at Suez and the Eastern Nile Delta, 2010) This presents a counterargument that the miracles and signs in religion can also occur naturally.
August 15, 1995 — The Tide Stops at Mongsan Beach
On August 15, 1995, a youth retreat of the Christian Gospel Mission was held at Mongsan Beach in Taean County, South Chungcheong Province, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan. The event was a gathering where Korean and Japanese members would move past the wounds of history and make pledges of love and peace. 1,500 youth members from Korea and Japan together shouted “Manse!” in unison, led by Pastor Jeong Myeong-seok.
Korean and Japanese members who were present that day remember it as a deeply moving moment — one in which, within God’s truth and love, the walls between nations came down and peace was realized.
After the Liberation Day commemorative worship service concluded, participants finished soccer and cavalry battle games and began a volleyball tournament.
However, that day — the 19th day of the 7th lunar month — fell during the “Baekjung Sari” period, when sea levels are highest and tides strongest along the West Sea coast. As the tide began coming in rapidly from 1pm onward, mission officials were worried the event schedule would be disrupted.
Pastor Baek Chung-gyeong, a mission official who was present at the scene, recalled:
“The tide was coming in rapidly toward Mongsan Beach. But Pastor Jeong Myeong-seok kept serving the ball and praying quietly. When I asked the person beside me, I was told he was praying for the tide to stop.”
When the third volleyball match began, participants noticed the tide was no longer advancing.
Local resident A said: “I’ve been doing business here for over 30 years, but it was the first time on a Baekjung Sari day that the beach stayed unsubmerged all the way until sunset.”
With environmental awareness quite different from today, residents at the time often discarded garbage into the sea when the tide came in. Local resident B testified that she had tried to do so that day as well — but since the tide never came in, the garbage remained where it was.
Another local resident, C, said: “I’d never seen people playing volleyball on the beach until 6:50 in the evening during Baekjung Sari. By that time the water always rises up to the concrete steps at the far end of the beach — but that day it didn’t.”
Elder Lee Yeon-mi, a mission member who had been watching the volleyball match from the scene, also recalled that day:
“At the time I just thought the tide had come in a little late. It was only later, when I saw photographs of Mongsan Beach, that I realized water had reached up to where we had been sitting — and from that I came to understand that God had stopped the tide. What surprised me even more was that for the tide to stop, a strong wind would have to blow — but that day the wind wasn’t strong enough to interfere with volleyball at all.”
According to data from the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency, the high tide time at the nearby Anheung Port that day was 7pm. Since Mongsan Beach is approximately 20 minutes ahead of that, the estimated high tide time would be around 6:43pm. Yet even up to that time, the seawater had not crossed the sandy beach — and this was witnessed by both the mission members and local residents on site.
Mission members remember this event as “a sign that defies explanation by natural phenomena — evidence that God was present and at work.”
The reason the Mongsan Beach sign continues to be talked about is not simply because of the phenomenon of “the tide stopping” itself. It holds special meaning in that — on the very day when Korean and Japanese youth pledged love and peace, moving beyond the historical wounds of the past — God was shown to be present and working.
For mission members, this event also remains a message: when we seek God and pray even in the midst of difficulty, God works in this way.
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