Sarang-jail: South Korea’s latest outbreak of church-linked coronavirus turns into a battle for religious freedom

In February, it was the religious group Shincheonji, thousands of whom were infected with the virus in the southeastern city of Daegu, and set the stage for an outbreak that spread throughout the country. The church was accused by officials of refusing to cooperate with the authorities, while members accused both the government and the press of libel and religious persecution.

South Korea on Thursday reported 288 new cases of the virus, most of which were in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi province. The outbreak is linked to the Sarang-jeil Church, which has reported hundreds of positive cases among its members, some of the 400 of which have not yet been detected by the authorities.

On Tuesday, the Moon government announced a ban on all religious gatherings in churches in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan regions, in a move that immediately provoked provocation from conservative religious groups.

Since the last outbreak began on August 12, more than 1,500 cases have been reported nationwide. South Korean Minister of Public Health Park Neung-hoo has warned that the current outbreak could be massive and cause serious damage if not treated properly.

Police in the capital have been called in to identify and track individuals connected to the church, with the government acutely aware that time is of the essence to contain the spread and enable contact tracing. Health officials are asking all municipalities that attended services between July 27 and August 13 for testing and self-quarantine.

The Seoul government said it would seek damages against Sarang-jeil Church and its pastor, Jun Kwang-hoon, for wasting administrative resources and money due to their non-compliance. He has already been charged with criminal charges for alleged breach of quarantine and the tracing of contacts.

Jun’s legal team has made speculation that the church has polluted the track record of contacts by hiding a list of its members.

Attorney Kang Yeon-jae told reporters Monday that “unless the church has a locked gate, which people can only enter by swiping their ID card … the church cannot have a perfect list of all the many people who ‘ t kamen. ”

Sarang-jeil has said it will file a criminal complaint against Public Health Minister and Acting Mayor Seoul Seo Jeong-hyup for spreading false information and slander.

And Jun has been defiant in the face of official pressure. On Saturday, he took part in a massive anti-government rally in Seoul. Police had discouraged large gatherings due to fears of infection, but that did not stop thousands of people.

Jun gave a speech before the rally, removing his face mask before addressing the audience.

“This afternoon, members of the town hall came to our church, they saw me,” he said. “I have no fever. I have no symptoms. But they even told me to make quarantine immediately before this event.”

Jun tested positive for the virus on Monday, the Seongbuk District Office said, raising concerns that the protest could lead to a new cluster of infections. At a press conference that day, his legal team said he had received a quarantine order after returning from the rally.

While Jun and his church have attracted some sympathy from opponents of President Moon and conservative religious groups, his actions, along with photos of him sitting in the back of an ambulance after testing positive, have worn his mask like a chin strap, anger created by others online.

Speaking Tuesday, Deputy Health Minister Kim Ganglip said this week could mark a “critical turning point” in the question of whether the Seoul cluster will become a national epidemic.

Professor Park Kwang-soo, director of the Religious Research Center at Wonkwang University, believes that some worshipers lack understanding of the true dangers of coronavirus.

“While they believe in God as a loving god, they believe more in God as a healer,” he said. “They generally believe that faith can solve the problem of disease.”

Religious freedom

This is not Jun’s first brush with the law. Earlier this year, the pastor was arrested for illegal campaigning ahead of the general election, a charge he denies. He is currently on bail as that process continues.

Underlying the latest controversy is the widespread suspicion that many conservative religious groups have of President Moon, a liberal who has been growing opposition from the right in recent months.

“There is a tendency among some more conservative churches that the Moon government is against religious freedom,” said Professor Tark Ji-il of Busan Presbyterian University, adding that there was ‘tension and conflict’ between many churches. and the authorities.

Up to this point, the government has refused to ban religious gatherings nationwide, instead recommending online services to prevent the spread of the virus. Those who worship personally are required to practice social distance and wear face masks.

This did not stop Moon’s opponents from claiming to be anti-religious, along with accusing him of being a communist for his involvement with Pyongyang.

At the rally on Saturday, Jun reiterated allegations that Moon “handed over South Korea to North Korea” and said that communism had taken over the Blue House, the presidential office. One fan could be seen wearing a banner that read, “Jailing Moon Jae-in is the best disease prevent.”

For his part, Moon described the banned rally, which was aimed at him, as “a very senseless act that everyone is trying to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.” He also described it as an unforgettable act that could endanger people’s lives.