President Moon: "Thorough Investigation of Shincheonji Worship and Funeral Attendees" (Comprehensive)

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun Receives COVID-19 Briefing from Ministers... "Serious Situation in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, Swift and Strong Support Measures Implemented"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] On the 21st, President Moon Jae-in received a briefing on current issues related to the 'Novel Coronavirus Infection (COVID-19)' from Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and relevant ministers at the Blue House, emphasizing that "a thorough investigation is necessary for attendees of (Shincheonji) worship services and funerals." President Moon made this statement while referring to the issues surrounding the Shincheonji Daegu Church and the funeral at Cheongdo Daenam Hospital in Gyeongbuk.

In particular, President Moon instructed, "Funeral guestbooks and similar records should be important tracking targets, and relying solely on information provided by the Shincheonji Church may cause delays in related follow-up measures, so please devise faster and more prompt actions."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Prime Minister Chung reported on a special quarantine plan for the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions, designating them as 'special infectious disease control areas' to intensively implement quarantine measures, securing the list of Shincheonji Daegu Church members for self-quarantine, and conducting comprehensive diagnostic testing in that state.

President Moon said, "Given the seriousness of the situation in many respects, it would be good to implement swift and strong support measures."

Regarding the issue of raising the COVID-19 response from the third stage 'alert' to the 'serious' stage, Prime Minister Chung reported, "Countries like Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore have many more confirmed cases per capita than Korea, yet they maintain the 'alert' stage," adding, "We will maintain the current status but the central government will respond at a level equivalent to 'serious.'"