Daughter of Aum Shinrikyo Leader Faces Another Setback in Attempt to Visit Korea: "Branded for Over 30 Years"

Denied Entry While Attempting to Attend EBS Film Festival
Striving to Raise Awareness of Stigma and Discrimination Faced by a Criminal's Daughter

The daughter of the infamous Aum Shinrikyo cult leader, responsible for the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack, was recently denied entry to Korea. On August 29, Japanese media outlets such as ANN News and Abema News reported that Matsumoto Rika, the third daughter of Aum Shinrikyo leader Shoko Asahara (real name Chizuo Matsumoto), attempted to visit Korea on the 27th to attend a film festival but was not granted permission to leave Japan. She reportedly tried to board a flight at Tokyo Haneda Airport but was denied clearance. While the exact reason was not disclosed, it was reported that after a check-in counter employee contacted the Korean embassy, they were informed that "Rika's entry is not permitted."

Matsumoto Rika, the third daughter of Asahara Shoko (real name Chizuo Matsumoto), the leader of the Aum Shinrikyo cult, attempted to visit Korea on the 27th to attend a film festival but was denied entry. Still cut from the EBS International Documentary Film Festival "I Am His Daughter."

Rika stated, "I think it is necessary to investigate how the name Matsumoto Rika is treated within the country," adding, "I believe that not only myself but also many families of perpetrators will be treated this way." She continued, "This truly robs people of their will to live. I hope these things will disappear."

The 'Sarin Attack' Left 14 Dead and Over 6,300 Injured

The reason for Matsumoto Rika's denied entry was that she is the daughter of Shoko Asahara. Shoko Asahara was the main perpetrator behind the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in May 1995. It was the world’s first indiscriminate chemical attack targeting the general public. Sarin, a nerve agent 500 times more toxic than cyanide, was released at 18 Tokyo subway stations and in five subway cars, resulting in 14 deaths and injuries to over 6,300 people.

Shoko Asahara (left) committed heinous crimes such as carrying out terrorist attacks against individuals critical of the Aum Shinrikyo cult, kidnapping and murdering members who attempted to leave the group, and disposing of the bodies without a trace. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Shoko Asahara committed heinous crimes, including carrying out terrorist attacks against individuals critical of Aum Shinrikyo, kidnapping and murdering members who attempted to leave the cult, and disposing of their bodies without a trace. When he came under investigation, he orchestrated such acts of terror in an attempt to resist law enforcement. What made his crimes even more egregious was that he targeted rush hour at Kasumigaseki Station, where central government ministries such as the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism are located. Ultimately, Shoko Asahara was sentenced to death and executed in 2018. In addition to Shoko Asahara, 13 other Aum Shinrikyo executives and sarin gas manufacturers were sentenced to death, and 188 others involved received life imprisonment or other guilty verdicts.

Amid these circumstances, Rika attempted to visit Korea to attend the EBS Documentary Film Festival, where a film about her was being screened. In 2015, Rika published her autobiography "The Stopped Clock," revealing her face, her real name, and that she was the daughter of Shoko Asahara. Since then, she has spoken out about the harsh scrutiny, discrimination, and exclusion she has faced as a "murderer's family member."

In an interview with the media this June, Rika said, "All but one high school refused to accept me. I was accepted to a university, but was denied admission and had to file a lawsuit to enroll," adding, "Even after finding a job, I was fired whenever it was discovered that I was Asahara's daughter." She lamented, "How long must the families of perpetrators bear responsibility? Please do not ask the next generation of children about it. The families of perpetrators did not want these incidents to happen either."