SEOUL (UCAN): The Sarang Jeil Church in Korea, plans to file a criminal complaint against the country’s health minister and the acting mayor of Seoul, Seo Jeong-hyup, for spreading wrong information, after it was blamed for being at the centre of a surge in Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infections in capital.
Its lawyers have refuted claims that the megachurch obstructed contact tracing by not revealing the names of its members.
Health officials found 457 Covid-19 cases linked to the church led by pastor, Jun Kwang-hun, AP reported on August 18. Many of Sarang Jeil Church’s members are reported to be in hiding and cannot be traced by authorities.
South Korea reported 288 new Covid-19 cases on August 20 that were traced to Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi province.
Fears are growing that the virus’s spread could worsen after thousands of protesters, including members of the megachurch, marched in central Seoul led by Jun, in an anti-government rally on August 15.
Jun, who did not wear a mask and shared a microphone with several anti-government activists on a stage, tested positive for Covid-19 on August 17 and is receiving treatment at a Seoul hospital. South Korean president, Moon Jae-in called their march an “unforgivable act that threatens the lives of the people.”
The 63-year-old Jun and Sarang Jeil Church members are accused of violating self-isolation rules by participating in the rally. All members who participated in services between July 27 and August 13 were asked to undergo a Covid-19 test and self-quarantine. The government said it would seek compensation from the megachurch and Jun for non-compliance.
The Korean Herald reported that Jun told his followers earlier this year that it was “patriotic to die from illness.” He is also charged with defamation for calling Moon a North Korean spy, Yonhap reported.
On August 18, the government banned all religious gatherings in churches in Seoul and the surrounding areas, which drew flak from conservative religious groups.
In February, South Korea faced a crisis when a 61-year-old woman with a fever attended several Shincheonji Church of Jesus events in the city of Daegu, which became the largest epicentre of the coronavirus outside China at the time. The group was blamed for enabling the spread of the virus after its members stated they were forced to attend jam-packed services even when they were sick.
Shincheonji Church was also blamed for its secretive membership records, which made it difficult for authorities to track the spread of the virus.
Lee Man-hee, the church’s founder, was grilled by prosecutors and arrested on August 1 on charges of furnishing false information and embezzling about US$4.7 million (38.4 million).
