[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Park Hee-eun] As the government places all 9,300 members of Shincheonji Church of Jesus the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji) in the Daegu area under self-quarantine, with living expense support expected, voices opposing this are growing louder.
Kim Kang-rim, Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), stated at a briefing on the morning of the 22nd, "We have secured the list of about 9,300 Shincheonji members in the Daegu area," and added, "Without waiting for the results of contact investigations, we are proactively implementing self-quarantine and facility quarantine for all of them."
According to government measures, living expenses will be provided to those under 'self-quarantine.' The support amounts are △ 454,900 KRW for single-person households △ 774,700 KRW for two-person households △ 1,002,400 KRW for three-person households △ 1,230,000 KRW for four-person households △ 1,457,500 KRW for five-person households.
If these standards are applied equally to Shincheonji members in Daegu, the living support costs for self-quarantine alone are projected to reach 10 billion KRW.
As this news became known, by 10 a.m. on the 26th, nine petitions opposing support for Shincheonji had been posted on the Blue House National Petition Board.
One petitioner said, "I am a self-employed person living in Dalseong-gun, Daegu. My livelihood is at risk because people cannot go out," and urged, "Please prioritize the citizens of Daegu who are suffering damage due to Shincheonji. I earnestly ask for the withdrawal of living expense support for Shincheonji."
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