Shin Ok-ju: S Korean doomsday cult leader jailed for six years
July 31, 2019
The leader of a South Korean doomsday cult has been sentenced to six years in jail for holding her followers captive in Fiji and subjecting them to violence.
Shin Ok-ju, who founded the Grace Road Church, convinced 400 people to move to Fiji in 2014, claiming they would be safe from imminent natural disaster
Once there, their passports were taken away and many of them reported being beaten to "drive out evil spirits".
Shin was arrested last July.
On Monday, a South Korean court found Shin guilty on several criminal charges including violence, child abuse and fraud.
"The victims suffered helplessly from collective beatings and experienced not only physical torture but also severe fear and considerable mental shock," said a sub-court of the Suwon District Court.
"Heavy punishment is inevitable against illegal acts carried out in the name of religion," it said.
Five other church officials were also sentenced. There has been no comment from the church.
Seoyeon Lee, a woman who escaped from the cult in 2014, told the BBC that she was "disappointed" with the court's decision.
"The punishment did not fit the crime at all. She should be behind bars for a much longer time," said Ms Lee.
"It's better than nothing I guess," she added. "I hope this encourages the Fijian government to take appropriate action and disassociate themselves with the organisation".
A Fijian business empire
Grace Road Church has been described as heretical by mainstream South Korean Christian groups.
Shin preached that a global famine was imminent but that she and her followers would be safe in Fiji.
The church had leased land near the capital, Suva, and built a large business empire, with labour provided by Shin's followers.
It won several construction contracts from the Fijian government and a business excellence award from the prime minister.
Reports say several million people in South Korea belong to groups that promote fringe beliefs and interest in these groups is growing.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/28/asia/fij ... index.html
According to its website, the Grace Road Church and its corporate affiliate, the Grace Road Group (which is sometimes referred to as GR Group), began their work in Fiji investing in agricultural industries.
"GR Group is a group of Christians who see, hear, believe, and act by the Bible. We listened to the Words of God though our reverend, gathered from all over the world, and moved to Fiji for the God-given vision. We believe that Fiji is the promised land hidden in the Bible, beautiful and pristine land blessed by God. We came to make Fiji the light of the world by making the Words of God come true," the company said.
Grace Road Group has grown significantly in scope in the last four years, operating some 50 businesses in the restaurant industry, retail, construction and farming. Grace Road Church's 400 parishioners are employees of the Grace Road Group, Kim said. The company also employs around 200 Fijians, Kim told CNN.
These jobs and investments are in a country with one of the world's smallest GDPs that is trying to attract more foreign investors.
Grace Road Group's business ventures have been lauded by Fiji's highest levels of government. Pictures in local media and on the GR Group website show Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama personally appearing beside GR Group's president to give the company an award for its business successes in 2017. A tweet from the group that administers the awards has since been deleted after CNN's first report on Grace Road.
Kim explained to CNN that although he is the GR Group president, the church's members all co-own the business. He said that none are being kept against their will and they are free to come and go as they please. Of the nearly 600 who have made the move to Fiji, about 200 have left of their own accord, Kim said.
Some who have left the church, on the other hand, say they were subjected to "14 hours of heavy daily labor, surveillance, punishments and a group assault."
Kim said members of the media are welcome to visit to Fiji to "find the truth."
Several Korean broadcasters have traveled there to produce documentaries on the church, which Kim accused of being one-sided.
"We are frustrated," Kim said. "They're not telling the truth -- they're telling a story, an exciting story."
Kim said he and many members of the church have been questioned by what he called a "full investigative team," involving about 20 officials from the South Korean government, Interpol and Fijian police two months ago. The company and church today are still operating as normal, he said, albeit without their leader.
The former parishioners speaking out allege collusion between the church and the Fijian government for them to be able to thrive in Fiji. Kim denies any links with Fijian authorities, and says his businesses are operating legally.
South Korean police refused to give specific details about the process of their investigation, but said they have issued seven Interpol red notices -- a request from one country to another to arrest an individual.
Authorities in Fiji have been tight-lipped about the case.
Shortly after Shin's arrest, the country's attorney general, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, said the incident would not affect GR Group's business interests.
"We have not had any repercussions on any of the projects they are currently undertaking as the same way as the shops are all running, patisseries and food outlets are all running," Sayed-Khaiyum said in August, according to The Fiji Times.
