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U.S. Threatens Fiji with Sanctions Over alleged Human trafficking by Doomsday Cult
The United States is poised to considerably downgrade fiji’s ranking on its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, possibly jeopardizing millions in progress aid, due to the South Pacific nation’s perceived failure to address alleged human trafficking linked to a powerful religious group known as the Grace Road Group. A senior State Department official confirmed the potential action, stating the U.S. is actively cooperating with Fijian authorities but requires “decisive action” to avert the downgrade.
Fiji currently holds a “Tier 2 Watchlist” ranking, the second lowest level. A demotion to “Tier 3” – alongside countries like Cambodia and North Korea – would trigger severe consequences, potentially cutting off all non-humanitarian U.S. assistance and pressuring international lenders to withdraw funding. The escalating pressure follows the reported escape of at least four U.S. citizens, including two children, from the Grace Road Group since late last year.
The Grace Road Group, a religious sect originating in South Korea, has rapidly expanded its influence in Fiji over the past decade, becoming a major economic force with holdings in supermarkets, beauty salons, and restaurants. According to the State Department,indicators of “transnational organized crime and human trafficking” associated with the group are deeply concerning.
The U.S. government’s concerns center on allegations that Grace Road exploits its followers, coercing them into working long hours for little or no pay in the group’s businesses. The potential consequences for Fiji are ample. Both the World Bank and the Asia Development Bank could significantly reduce overall funding to Fiji.
The U.S. government has given Fiji until the end of March to demonstrate substantial improvements or face automatic downgrading. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has responded by establishing an “inter-ministerial taskforce” involving key ministries to oversee investigations and strategic direction.Fiji’s Immigration Minister Viliame Naupoto confirmed ongoing discussions with U.S. officials regarding the demands outlined in the TIP report.
The controversy surrounding Grace road extends beyond allegations of trafficking. The group relocated to Fiji in 2014, believing the island nation offered refuge ahead of a predicted nuclear Armageddon. Its teachings reportedly denounce Jesus Christ as an “enemy and wicked man,” asserting that eternal life is only attainable through following the group’s leader,korean grandmother Ok-joo Shin. Shin was arrested in South Korea in 2018 and remains imprisoned on charges including child abuse, assault, and fraud.
Despite Shin’s imprisonment and outstanding Korean arrest warrants for her son, Daniel Kim, and other leaders, Grace Road has flourished in Fiji, reportedly receiving substantial government support – including millions in state-backed loans – during the previous administration of former Prime Minister Frank bainimarama. While the current government has pledged a stricter stance, Kim was briefly detained in 2023 as a “prohibited immigrant” before being released on bail pending judicial review. The group recently announced plans to open a 60-room hotel, signaling continued expansion.
Disturbing accounts from former members paint a picture of systemic abuse. OCCRP has reviewed three police reports filed by former U.S. members, including a teenager, detailing allegations of forced labor in cult-owned businesses, often from early morning until late at night. While OCCRP could not independently verify thes claims, they align with previous testimonies from former members and the findings of Shin’s South Korean trial. These reports also describe regular physical violence for minor infractions and a practice known as “the threshing floor” – a ritual of public humiliation intended to exorcise “demonic possession.”
“We knew instantly it was a threshing when we would all sit in a huge circle… in a main ‘living room,'” one former American member wrote in her police statement. “We would shut the windows, and one-by-one, a Grace Road member would get called to the front of the circle and get major hitting on the head, slapping, kicking, and hair pulling,” she said. “Sometimes, we were encouraged to join in to hit the person as they need to ‘wake up’ from their spiritual death and sleepiness.”
Grace Road has not responded to requests for comment, but has previously denied any wrongdoing. The U.S. government’s looming decision represents the moast significant challenge yet to the group’s continued operation in Fiji, and underscores the growing international scrutiny of its activities.