[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] Even on the 22nd, the day after the government announced a 15-day suspension of operations for religious facilities, indoor sports facilities, and entertainment venues to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), some churches pressed ahead with on-site worship services.
The Moon Jae-in Resignation National Struggle Headquarters (Beomtu-bon), led by Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon (64, detained) of the Christian Council of Korea (CCK), held a "Sunday joint worship service" that morning at Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul.
The church measured the temperatures of worshippers attending the service and had them sign the visitor log before allowing them into the sanctuary. Church staff instructed the congregants, "Do not sit close together; keep distance between each other." However, due to a shortage of seats, some were seen sitting closely packed together.
Seoul City, in agreement with the church, sent five city hall employees and one Seongbuk-gu office staff member to conduct an on-site inspection. A Seoul city official said, "We will enter to check if the regulations are being properly followed, and if not, we will issue an order to prohibit the gathering."
On the same day, Immanuel Church in Songpa-gu, Seoul, held an offline worship service attended by about 100 worshippers. A church official said, "As you can see from the attendees, most are elderly, so there is a need for offline worship," adding, "We are cooperating with government guidelines as much as possible by not allowing entry without masks and maintaining spacing."
At Yonsei Central Church in Guro-gu, Seoul, an on-site worship service was also held that morning. Church staff at the sanctuary entrance guided worshippers to maintain a distance of "at least 2 meters" from each other.
A church official stated, "We are encouraging congregants to attend online worship from home as much as possible, but we cannot prevent those who want to come to the sanctuary from doing so," adding, "We are strictly implementing safety measures upon entry and seating one to two people in seats designed for eight, ensuring they sit apart."
Protest gatherings by residents near the churches, concerned about infection, also took place. Residents belonging to the 'Sugung-dong Residents' Quarantine Countermeasure Committee' and the 'Oryu 1-dong Residents' Quarantine Group' held a 'silent protest' near Yonsei Central Church in Guro-gu, holding placards reading "Stopping mass infection instantly is the only way to survive," "Switch to online worship," and "Asymptomatic infection?anyone can get infected."
Resident Dong Mo (64), who was disinfecting nearby roads with a spray bottle, said, "There are nine senior centers in the area. If something goes wrong, it could spread quickly," and added, "I hope offline worship services are refrained from for the time being."
Earlier, Park Neung-hoo, Minister of Health and Welfare, recommended suspending operations of religious facilities and certain types of indoor sports facilities (dance halls, dance academies, fitness centers, sports studios) and entertainment venues (colatecs, clubs, entertainment bars, etc.) from that day until the 5th of next month. These are facilities where mass infections have occurred or are classified as high-risk due to their business characteristics.
Local governments will inspect whether facilities recommended to suspend operations are open and whether they are following quarantine guidelines. Businesses that operate without complying with the sector-specific quarantine measures previously announced by each ministry will receive warning notices and may be subject to administrative orders prohibiting gatherings and assemblies under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.
Meanwhile, Myeongdong Cathedral in Jung-gu, Seoul, which suspended Masses as a COVID-19 preventive measure, temporarily opened only the main cathedral for individual prayer visits by parishioners. A notice board at the cathedral displayed a statement from Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung, Archbishop of the Seoul Archdiocese, stating, "Unless special circumstances arise, Masses will resume from the 2nd of next month, and no other gatherings should be held until further notice."
Additionally, Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul, which had planned to hold the Choharu Dharma Assembly on the 24th, was generally quiet. Only a few worshippers who had their temperatures taken and signed the visitor log at the entrance sat spaced apart in the main hall to offer prayers or circled around the pagoda while praying.
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