Daegu Police Deploy 600 Officers to Track Missing Shincheonji Members

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Ju Cheol-in] The police have launched a search to track down missing persons related to the Shincheonji Daegu Church in connection with the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 23rd that it is mobilizing about 600 personnel in the criminal investigation and detective fields to find Shincheonji members who cannot be contacted.

According to Daegu City, among the 9,336 Shincheonji Daegu Church believers currently undergoing a full survey, 670 cannot be reached.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Daegu police are mobilizing the maximum available personnel from the metropolitan police agency and police stations' criminal investigation and detective units to confirm the whereabouts of Shincheonji members and maintain phone contact with health authorities. They have also deployed the Police Mobile Unit, which has excellent mobility and on-site response capabilities.

Following the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Daegu on the 18th, the Daegu police urgently dispatched the Police Mobile Unit to the quarantine sites of Daegu Medical Center and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to control the scene, maintain order, and support quarantine activities.

So far, the Daegu police have been cooperating with related organizations such as Daegu City for the nationwide effort to overcome COVID-19, including supporting quarantine at Daegu Airport and dispatching a team led by a police sergeant to the disaster situation room at Daegu City Hall.

A Daegu police official said, "We will do our best to prevent and overcome the spread of COVID-19 by mobilizing the police force to the maximum extent possible."