[Source: IB]

Two Grace Road employees have been deported to South Korea last night.

Minister for Home Affairs, Pio Tikoduadua says the two are part of seven individuals, employed by Grace Road who are subject to an INTERPOL Red Notice.

The red notices were published in July 2018 by INTERPOL referring to these individuals as fugitives wanted for prosecution.

However, Tikoduadua claims these were ignored by the former government.

The Minister says the Korean Government had communicated officially through diplomatic channels in September 2018, that the passports of these seven individuals who are connected with the Grace Road cult have been nullified.

The Korean Government had also issued an arrest warrant against them.

Of the seven, Tikoduadua says one has already returned to South Korea while Byeong Joon Lee and Beomseop Shin departed our shores yesterday for Singapore on a Fiji Airways flight.

[Daniel Jung Young Kim]

They are accompanied by a South Korean embassy interpreter and four Fiji Police Force personnel.

The Minister adds Fiji Airways declined to take two other passengers, Grace Road Acting President, Sung Jin Lee and Num Suk Choo, due to a High Court Order.

These two individuals have been released and are currently at the Grace Road farm in Navua.

Tikoduadua says Solicitor-General Ropate Green has indicated plans to appeal the court order.

“Using my discretion as Minister under section 13 (2) (g) of the Immigration Act, these individuals were declared prohibited immigrants making their presence in Fiji unlawful. On September 6th, 2023, a taskforce consisting of the Fiji Police Force and Immigration officers began the removal of these individuals.”

However, Tikoduadua says two individuals, Daniel Jung Young Kim and Jin Sook Yoon remain at large.

He is calling on members of the public for their assistance in locating the two prohibited immigrants.

“Let me remind the general public that it is an offense to harbor people who are wanted and it is against the law to do that. So please, we welcome the information with regards to their location as they are prohibited immigrants in Fiji.”

According to Tikoduadua, the Ministry will continue to monitor and address this situation in line with legal procedures.

The Grace Road Group began its operations in Fiji in 2014 by investing in agriculture and food processing, before branching into construction, restaurant and food services, retail and services as well as renewable energy.