Speculations Abound Surrounding the Mass Production of Confirmed Shincheonji Cases
Authorities Cooperate but Information Reliability Is Low
Religious Activities Outside Home During Self-Quarantine Also Problematic
On the morning of the 23rd, a notice prohibiting the entry of Shincheonji members was posted at the entrance of the main sanctuary of Yoido Full Gospel Church in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, ahead of the Sunday service. [Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol, Kim Heung-soon] Suspicions surrounding the Shincheonji Daegu Church, where a 'super spreader' event of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) occurred, have not subsided. Some suspect that Shincheonji may have underreported the number of mourners related to the funeral, which is known to have ignited the spread of the infection.
Health authorities are also investigating the connection between the Shincheonji Daegu Church, where a cluster of patients emerged, and the Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, Gyeongbuk, but nothing clear has been revealed so far. As various suspicions and rumors have intensified, Shincheonji hastily issued a statement saying, "We are cooperating with health authorities using all possible means," but controversy is growing as hundreds of believers remain unreachable and the information provided to authorities is criticized for its low reliability.
The Shincheonji Church of Jesus (Shincheonji) released an official statement via YouTube and its website instead of holding a press conference originally scheduled for the 24th. Kim Simon, Shincheonji spokesperson, said in the video, "We have notified all 245,000 believers, including 9,294 members of the Daegu Church and 201 visitors to the Daegu Church, to refrain from outside activities," adding, "Since the first confirmed case in Daegu on the 18th, all worship services, meetings, and evangelism activities have been suspended, and we are checking symptomatic individuals daily and communicating closely with authorities."
According to spokesperson Kim, there are 1,100 churches and affiliated institutions nationwide, and a list of churches and institutions by region has been disclosed on the website. However, claims have emerged that there are actually over 1,500 facilities worldwide, including about 1,300 domestic ones. The YouTube account 'Jongmallron Samuso' obtained and analyzed audio recordings of the '36th Regular General Assembly of Shincheonji' held at the Gwacheon headquarters church in Gyeonggi this January, revealing that the total number of domestic facilities reaches 1,529.
The significant discrepancy with the facility status disclosed by Shincheonji has led to suspicions that problematic facilities might have been excluded from the disclosure. According to the office, some churches conduct proselytizing activities without outwardly revealing that they are Shincheonji, and many people who visit these places are unaware that they are Shincheonji churches. As of March last year, it was reported that there were 235 believers in Wuhan, China, and between 1,000 to 2,000 believers in major regions across China.
Suspicions surrounding the funeral of Lee Man-hee, the leader of Shincheonji, held in early last month, also persist. The funeral took place at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, Gyeongbuk, another site of a cluster outbreak. It is known that Lee himself attended. Shincheonji provided the list of mourners who attended the funeral to health authorities, which was reported to be about 40 people, raising further suspicions. Given that there are hundreds of thousands of believers worldwide based in Cheongdo, the number of mourners seems excessively low.
Health authorities have launched an all-out response to prevent further spread originating from Shincheonji, as the number of patients is rapidly increasing around the group. Authorities believe that the unique worship style of Shincheonji, involving close contact in enclosed spaces, likely facilitated a super-spreader event infecting many people rapidly. Among approximately 9,000 Daegu Church members, over 1,200 have symptoms, and confirmed cases continue to emerge as those who attended worship services on the 9th and 16th, which are considered problematic, have dispersed nationwide, making contact tracing difficult. Shincheonji has taken measures such as ordering some believers to self-quarantine, but the effectiveness is compromised as some continue activities within the community during self-quarantine.
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