Father pleads for son to return

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25-year-old Grace Road Group employee Jeongwon Lee during an interview at their farm and factory in Navua. Picture: JOVESA NAISUA/FILE

“HEY Son, this is not a place your dreams will come true. Just come back soon to Korea as soon as possible.”

This is the plea of a father and former Grace Road Church member Yunzae Lee to his son, Jeongwon Lee who is based at the Grace Road Group’s farm at Navua working in its agriculture division.

The 53-year-old was a member of the church from 2014 until he escaped last year.

Mr Lee now lives in Korea, but was back in Fiji this week in the hope to try and convince his son to return home with him.

His wife and two children joined him a short time later, but his 25-year-old son decided to stay behind.

Mr Lee came to Fiji last month and met his son, but said his son did not want to go back to Korea.

He returned this week in the hope to try and persuade him again to return home with him.

Mr Lee said he always wished his son would one day change his mind to come back to him in Korea.

“My son, this is not a place to live like a human,” he said.

“I wish one day he comes back.”

However, in an interview with The Fiji Times at the Grace Road base in Navua on Friday, Jeongwon said he would stay in Fiji for as long as he could, and does not intend to join his father in Korea.

He said he would rather live according to the biblical teachings here in Fiji instead of returning to join his family.

He said he was happy to have met with his father when he visited last month, but was said that his father believed in false claims against the church and its leader.

“I would like my father to come back to Fiji and live with me, instead of me going back to Korea,” Jeongwon said.

“I trusted my father when I came here, but now it’s different.”

He said he liked living in Fiji because he loved living his life according to the bible.

“Without the word of God, I would have never come here,” he added.

Jeongwon also denied all allegations by his father against the church, its leader Reverend Shin Ok Joo and the Grace Road

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