Government Declares Daegu and Gyeongbuk as Special Disaster Areas Due to Severe COVID-19 Impact
Some Citizens Demand Exclusion of Shincheonji Believers from COVID-19 Spread Causes
Lee Man-hee, the Chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, is revealing a letter addressed to church members during a press conference related to the COVID-19 pandemic held on the 2nd at the Shincheonji Palace of Peace in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] On the 15th, President Moon Jae-in declared certain areas of Daegu and Gyeongbuk as special disaster zones in response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.
When a special disaster zone is declared, the government investigates the related damage, establishes a recovery plan, and covers 50% of the recovery costs from the national budget. Additionally, benefits such as support for residents' livelihood and housing stability, relief funds for the deceased and injured, and reductions in electricity bills, health insurance premiums, communication fees, and city gas charges are provided.
The issue lies in the growing criticism over whether members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji), who have been identified as a cause of the COVID-19 spread, should also receive these benefits.
The Shincheonji side has continuously appealed, claiming they are "the biggest victims" of the COVID-19 situation and asking for the "witch hunt" to stop.
A 30-year-old office worker, Mr. A, who opposed benefits being extended to Shincheonji members in relation to Daegu being declared a special disaster zone, expressed his disbelief.
He said, "If you look into why the COVID-19 situation escalated so much, wasn't it because it spread rapidly from Shincheonji members?" and raised his voice, "Personally, I oppose giving them various benefits funded by our taxes."
Another 30-year-old office worker, Mr. B, also said, "Shincheonji members are currently facing various lawsuits and accusations such as violating the Infectious Disease Control Act, so I am not sure if it is appropriate for the government to provide such assistance," emphasizing, "I hope this matter is reviewed more thoroughly."
He added, "If Shincheonji members had cooperated well with the government, the number of confirmed cases wouldn't have increased like this," expressing frustration, "There is a clear connection between the COVID-19 spread and Shincheonji."
On the 24th of last month, a responsible official posted a closure notice at Seongnam City On Church in Gyeonggi-do in accordance with the enforcement of the "Shincheonji Assembly Total Ban and Facility Forced Closure Gyeonggi-do Emergency Administrative Order." [Image source=Yonhap News]
In fact, 81% of domestic COVID-19 confirmed cases have been linked to cluster infections. Among confirmed cases, 62% are related to Shincheonji.
On the afternoon of the 14th, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH), stated at a regular briefing, "81% of the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country are related to cluster outbreaks, and among the detailed cluster outbreak cases identified so far, 62% are related to Shincheonji."
According to the CDSCH, as of 0:00 on the 14th, out of 8,086 cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases, 6,552 were linked to cluster infections. Among these, 5,013 were identified as related to the Shincheonji church.
Consequently, various lawsuits and accusations against Shincheonji have been filed. The National Shincheonji Victims Solidarity filed a complaint last February 2 against Chairman Lee Man-hee for violating the Infectious Disease Control Act, accusing him of submitting false data during the COVID-19 epidemiological investigation.
The city of Daegu, which suffered significant infection damage, also filed a complaint against Shincheonji for falsifying the number of believers. Daegu reported the Shincheonji Daegu church leader to the police for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act by hiding 1,983 believers and submitting false reports to health authorities and the city.
Additionally, the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency has launched an investigation under the Infectious Disease Control Act against two individuals?a public official and a nurse?who violated self-quarantine orders after testing positive for COVID-19.
Mr. A, a public official at Dalseo District Office in Daegu, was confirmed positive on the 24th after contact with a COVID-19 patient and was instructed to self-quarantine but visited the community center.
Ms. B, a nurse at a hospital in Daegu, concealed the fact that she was under self-quarantine orders from health authorities and continued to work at the hospital for four days. This is why voices opposing benefits being extended to Shincheonji members following the declaration of Daegu as a special disaster zone are growing.
Kim Simon, spokesperson for Shincheonji, is explaining Shincheonji's position regarding the COVID-19 situation. [Image source=Yonhap News]
However, on February 28, Shincheonji immediately refuted the witch hunt against them through a live broadcast on their website, asserting that Shincheonji believers are also the biggest victims of COVID-19.
Kim Si-mon, Shincheonji spokesperson, appealed through a live statement on the website that afternoon, saying, "Please immediately stop the slander and oppression using unverified information and fake news."
He continued, "Please withdraw the curses and hatred directed at Shincheonji," adding, "In South Korea, where religious freedom exists, is it a reason to be condemned just because we are not affiliated with established churches?" He also claimed, "Shincheonji did not create the coronavirus; we are victims who lived normal daily lives."
Meanwhile, Chung Sye-kyun, Prime Minister and head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at the CDSCH meeting held at the Government Seoul Office that afternoon (the 15th) regarding the declaration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk as special disaster zones, "This reflects the government's determination to swiftly overcome the crisis in Daegu and Gyeongbuk at the national level."
Prime Minister Chung said, "The sudden spread of COVID-19 has left deep wounds in Daegu and Gyeongbuk," adding, "83% of confirmed cases and 87% of deaths are concentrated in Daegu, Cheongdo, Gyeongsan, and Bonghwa areas, causing severe human damage, and the daily lives and economic activities of local residents have come to a halt." He further stated, "Since the fight against COVID-19 is ongoing, the government will consider additional designations of special disaster zones depending on the damage situation in other regions."
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