'Minister Kim Moon-soo Sentenced Guilty in Second Trial for Forcing On-site Worship Despite COVID-19'

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kim Moon-soo, Minister of Employment and Labor, who was acquitted in the first trial after participating in on-site worship at Sarang Jeil Church, was found guilty in the appellate court.

Kim Moon-soo, nominee for Minister of Employment and Labor, is taking an oath at the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 26th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

On the 3rd, the 1-3 Criminal Division of the Seoul Northern District Court (Presiding Judges Yoon Woong-gi, Lee Heon-sook, Kim Hyung-seok) sentenced Minister Kim to a fine of 2.5 million won on charges of violating the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act. Pastors and church members of Sarang Jeil Church, who were also indicted, were fined between 1 million and 3 million won.

They are accused of violating Seoul City's assembly ban order issued to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from March to April 2020, the early period of the pandemic, by attending on-site worship services at Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. It was confirmed that Minister Kim attended on-site worship services three times in total.

The court stated, "The crime in this case could nullify the efforts of the state and citizens who participated in preventing and suppressing infectious diseases during that period," and explained the sentencing by saying, "Considering the high transmissibility and danger of COVID-19 at the time, as well as the direction of quarantine and prevention, the nature of the crime is not good." The court further explained, "There was an alternative of worship through online services, so it is difficult to regard the spatial restriction as an essential limitation," and added, "Considering private and public interests and the existence of alternatives, it cannot be seen as infringing on private interests by tilting to one side."

Previously, in November 2022, the first trial court acquitted, stating, "The private interests infringed by banning on-site worship cannot be considered smaller than the public interests achieved by the ban."