Do, on the 22nd, decided to forcibly close all related facilities after reporting that the number of facilities they investigated themselves far exceeds the 239 facilities in the province submitted by Shincheonji, due to concerns about potential harm to residents.
[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, has issued an emergency administrative order to forcibly shut down Shincheonji religious facilities and ban gatherings. This decision was made based on the judgment that there is a significant discrepancy between the number of religious facilities in the province submitted by Shincheonji and the number identified through the province's own investigation.
In fact, on the 22nd, Shincheonji Church publicly disclosed its official church facilities and affiliated institutions, with 239 facilities counted within the province. However, as a result of investigations by Gyeonggi Province through reports from church officials, religious experts, citizens, and data searches, 270 related facilities were identified within the province. Among these, only 111 matched Shincheonji's data, and 45 were confirmed through on-site inspections not to be Shincheonji facilities.
On the 24th, Governor Lee held a press conference at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office in Suwon regarding emergency measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, stating, "Community infections have become evident recently, centered on attendees of the Shincheonji Church gathering in Daegu, and the central government has raised the response level to 'serious.' Now, beyond tracking specific infection sources, we must mobilize all available resources and capabilities to thoroughly scan potential risk areas like a net."
He added, "Accordingly, Gyeonggi Province has decided to urgently issue an administrative order pursuant to Articles 47 and 49 of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act."
Accordingly, Gyeonggi Province has imposed a 14-day ban on Shincheonji Church gatherings, regardless of indoor or outdoor locations within the province.
The province expects minimal disadvantages or damages from the gathering ban order, as Shincheonji has voluntarily expressed its intention to suspend gatherings.
Along with this, all gathering-capable facilities managed by Shincheonji Church, including official church facilities, gospel rooms, and centers, will be forcibly closed for 14 days.
In particular, the province plans to mark all 353 facilities?both those identified through its own investigation and those disclosed by Shincheonji Church?with quarantine and forced closure signs, and to station public officials at these locations during the closure period to enforce the closure order.
If any of the facilities subject to the closure order are found to be unrelated to Shincheonji Church, the province will accept objections, conduct immediate on-site inspections, exclude such facilities from the order, and publicly announce the results.
Governor Lee stated, "Violations of the gathering ban and forced closure orders may be subject to penalties under relevant laws," and urged, "Please continue to report any Shincheonji-related facilities that Gyeonggi Province has not yet identified to the Gyeonggi Province Call Center (031-120)."
Additionally, Governor Lee officially requested Shincheonji to provide a list of believers who have residence or workplace ties within the province.
He explained, "Regarding this group infection incident, Shincheonji Church is by no means the perpetrator but is recognized as a victim of the infectious disease," but added, "However, as the governor responsible for the safety of the province's residents, I had no choice but to make this decision."
He continued, "While fully respecting religious freedom and individual privacy as guaranteed by the Constitution, please understand that this is an unavoidable measure to minimize the spread of infection," emphasizing, "This measure has no purpose other than administrative objectives of resident safety and infection prevention."
He also noted, "Access to and use of the relevant information will be possible only in the presence of Shincheonji Church representatives to ensure security," and added, "I hope the situation does not escalate to the point where forced measures to obtain the list become necessary."
In conclusion, Governor Lee promised, "All public officials in Gyeonggi Province are united as one and are mobilizing all administrative power to end COVID-19 early," and pledged, "We will fulfill our responsibilities without wavering."
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