Tension in Gwacheon Headquarters Amid Mass Confirmed Cases of Shincheonji Members

23 of 30 Confirmed Cases Linked to Shincheonji Believer 'Patient 31'
Gwacheon Shincheonji Believer Confirmed Attending Daegu Worship Under Testing
Gwacheon City Conducts Emergency Disinfection at Central Park, Subway Stations, Bus Stops, and Public Restrooms

On the 19th, a public health official from Nam-gu Health Center in Daegu is conducting disinfection work at the Shincheonji Daegu Church in Daemyeong-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu. It was confirmed on this day that many confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection were reported among the believers attending this religious facility.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] As of the morning of the 20th, the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has been confirmed to be 82, among which about 20 confirmed cases are linked to the 31st confirmed patient (61, female), who is known to be a member of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus (Shincheonji) in Daegu.

Given this situation, concerns are rising that the risk of COVID-19 infection through Shincheonji believers may be increasing. It is pointed out that infection could occur through contact as believers meet for worship and engage in missionary activities.

In fact, one believer known to be active in Gwacheon City, Gyeonggi Province, was confirmed to have attended worship in Daegu, prompting the city to initiate emergency disinfection measures.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that as of 9 a.m. on the day, the number of COVID-19 patients in the country was 82. The number of patients, which was 51 as of 4 p.m. on the 19th, increased by 31 overnight. Thirty of these new cases were in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions. One additional case was reported in Seoul, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 82.

Notably, 23 out of the 30 new cases were confirmed to be related to the outbreak at the Shincheonji Daegu Church attended by the 31st patient. The 31st confirmed patient is tentatively identified as having attended worship with hundreds of believers at the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu.

The total number of members belonging to the Shincheonji Daegu Church is approximately 9,000, and the worship hall where the 31st patient attended service is located on the 4th floor of a 9-story church building.

On the 19th, a notice from Shincheonji was posted at the entrance of a commercial building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, where the Shincheonji headquarters is located, stating that worship services and gatherings are temporarily suspended to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The problem is not only with the Shincheonji Daegu Church but also with other regions having Shincheonji churches, raising concerns that COVID-19 could spread to local communities through interactions among believers.

According to Gwacheon City, six believers from the Gwacheon Shincheonji Church visited the Daegu Shincheonji Church and attended worship.

Accordingly, Kim Jong-chun, mayor of Gwacheon City, held an emergency countermeasure meeting on the afternoon of the 19th and took action. Multi-use facilities such as the comprehensive social welfare center, youth training center, indoor gymnasium at the civic center, and community center programs will be temporarily closed until the 23rd.

In particular, since the 19th, emergency disinfection has been carried out focusing on the routes frequented by Shincheonji believers, including commercial areas, Central Park, subway stations, bus stops, public restrooms, and bicycle rental stations. Additionally, the Shincheonji Church has voluntarily closed its church and worship facilities temporarily.

Mayor Kim stated on his Facebook on the 19th, "It has been identified that six Shincheonji believers from Gwacheon attended worship in Daegu," adding, "It has not been confirmed whether these six believers are residents of Gwacheon."

He continued, "Among them, one person showed mild throat redness symptoms and was classified as a suspected patient, with samples collected," and "Facilities such as the civic center, comprehensive social welfare center, and youth training center will be temporarily closed until the weekend, and Shincheonji has voluntarily closed its facilities temporarily."

On the 19th, a quarantine notice from Emart, which is located in this building, was posted at the entrance of a commercial building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do, where the Shincheonji headquarters is located.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, criticism has emerged that the uniquely closed nature of Shincheonji's activities has exacerbated the situation.

Yoon Jae-deok, a pastor active as a 'Shincheonji professional counselor,' claimed in an interview with KBS Radio's 'Kim Kyung-rae's Strongest Current Affairs' on the 20th that the large number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in Daegu related to Shincheonji is connected to Shincheonji's characteristic closed activities.

Yoon said, "Shincheonji is similar to the military. Therefore, it is a group where it is very difficult to act independently without orders from above. Moreover, since the founding of Shincheonji, an unprecedented crisis is now occurring. In such a crisis, it is even more burdensome for individuals to act arbitrarily."

On the 19th, a public health official from Nam-gu Health Center in Daegu was conducting disinfection work near the Shincheonji Daegu Church in Daemyeong-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu. It was confirmed on this day that many confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection were reported among the believers attending this religious facility. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Yoon further pointed out, "At first, when the confirmed cases appeared, both the Shincheonji leadership and the confirmed patients seemed to prefer to keep it quiet rather than actively informing the outside, trying to keep the number of confirmed patients to just one by controlling the believers' speech."

He added, "However, the result is that Shincheonji's long-standing closed nature to protect its own organization created a huge gap in the national quarantine network. Already, 15 confirmed cases have emerged related to the Shincheonji headquarters church in Daegu. I believe this clearly shows that the closed nature of the Shincheonji organization is the root cause of the problem."

He emphasized, "What worries me now is Gwacheon. The Shincheonji headquarters is in Gwacheon. However, there are people who travel to other regions or attend worship at the Gwacheon headquarters instead of Daegu. I have confirmed this through news reports. Therefore, people who have been in contact with confirmed patients can go to other regions. Understanding the Shincheonji organization is necessary."

Meanwhile, it is known that Shincheonji has temporarily suspended worship services nationwide since the 18th, when confirmed cases were reported.