The government of Fiji has launched an investigation into the possible “unauthorized” supply of passports to children living in the Grace Road Church — a Korean doomsday cult that was found in a 2022 OCCRP investigation to have built vast wealth and influence in the Pacific island country.
Fiji Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Pio Tikoduadua announced Thursday that the passports appeared to have been issued without his or other senior officials’ knowledge. He did not say how many passports may have been issued, or when it happened.
“If confirmed, this constitutes a significant breach of our protocols and raises serious concerns about the internal oversight mechanisms within the department,” he said, adding that he had offered to temporarily step down as minister while an investigation takes place.Â
As of publication, there has been no reporting on whether Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has accepted his offer. However, The Fiji Sun reported on Friday that Fiji's Director of Immigration, Amelia Komaisavai, was placed on leave.Â
Led by imprisoned South Korean pastor Shin Ok-joo, the 400-strong Grace Road Church has been active in Fiji for over a decade and has built a business empire that includes a farm, restaurants, supermarkets, petrol stations, and beauty salons. OCCRP revealed in 2022 that the cult received millions of dollars in support from a state bank despite longstanding allegations that group members were beaten, humiliated, and forced to work long hours for no pay in church-owned enterprises.
Credit: OCCRP
Grace Road has denied claims of wrongdoing as “baseless” and recently announced it was shelving plans to expand its businesses in Fiji. Shin’s son, Daniel Kim, was arrested by Fijian immigration authorities last year and remains in detention.Â
Tikoduadua’s announcement follows reporting earlier this week by OCCRP partner the Fiji Times into fresh allegations of “slavery,” violence, and other abuses raised by a recent escapee from the church.
The former cult member, who asked to remain anonymous for her safety, alleged that the church separates families and granted her limited access to see her own children. The member’s claims match testimony previously obtained by OCCRP from other church members, as well as findings by a South Korean court that convicted Shin in 2019 of offences including assault, child abuse, and imprisoning church members.
Her husband, who remains with Grace Road, has denied her account.
