South Korean cult leader sentenced to six years in prison

Shin Ok-ju

Shin Ok-ju was shown slapping a follower in footage aired on South Korean television last year. Source: Seoul Broadcasting System

The leader of a South Korean doomsday cult who detained hundreds of her followers in Fiji has been sentenced to six years in prison.


ABC News reports that the leader of a South Korean doomsday cult who detained hundreds of her followers in Fiji has been sentenced to six years in prison, after she was convicted of child abuse, false imprisonment and assault.

Shin Ok-ju, the founder of the Grace Road Church, moved around 400 of her followers to Fiji in 2014, claiming the country was chosen by God as a safe haven from a coming global famine and drought.

ABC News says that after arriving in the Pacific nation, their passports were confiscated and some followers were subjected to ritual assaults.

The court said victims had "suffered helplessly from collective beatings", "physical torture" and "severe fear".


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South Korean cult leader sentenced to six years in prison | SBS Korean