A Christian ‘holy woman’ convicted in Suwon

Shin Ok-ju heads the Grace Road Church, a quasi-Christian group that preached the imminent end of the world. She convinced at least 400 South Koreans to move to Fiji to avoid doomsday. Once there, they had their passports taken away and were subjected to abuse.

Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) – A court in Suwon sentenced Shin Ok-ju, leader of the Grace Road Church, to six years in prison for abuse and fraud. She was found guilty of promising salvation to her followers whilst exploiting them in quasi-slavery conditions.

Very charismatic and well known in South Korea, Shin convinced 400 of her compatriots to move to Fiji to avoid doomsday. Once in that country, she had their passports taken away, with many of them reportedly beaten to “drive out evil spirits”.

The court found her guilty of 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.

Five other church officials were convicted. So far, the “Church” has not released any statement.

Seoyeon Lee, a former cult member, 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”.

However, "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".

• south korea
• fiji
• grace road church
• shin ok-ju
• sect
• cult
• abuse
• court sentence
• conviction