[Cheonji Daily] Controversy over Gyeonggi Provincial Government’s Response to COVID-19 as number of infected members from the established church is 2.4 times higher

On 18th March 2020, Cheonji Ilbo (Daily) published an article entitled “Controversy over Gyeonggi Provincial Government’s Response to COVID-19 as number of infected members from the established church is 2.4 times higher”. This is a translation of that article.

(Photo) On the 5th, governmental investigation teams such as the Central Incident Emergency Headquarters' Special Management Task Force completed administrative investigations at the headquarters of Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. 

Shincheonji ordered to shut down immediately and searched

Proliferation of infection cause of delay in prohibiting services

Gyeonggi province has shown no cases of an outbreak from Shincheonji Church

Gyeonggi province has a very different administrative approach to religious groups regarding the spread of the novel type of coronavirus infection (COVID-19). 

Shincheonji Church of Jesus, The Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji Church) closed all its branch churches and affiliated buildings, and ceased all meetings and evangelistic activities following the confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis of its church member, “Patient 31”, in Daegu. It was shut down on the 18th last month, one month from today (18th). 

The evening it closed after ‘patient 31’ was confirmed, all churches in Daegu ceased offline activities including worship services and meetings. The same was done the next day nationwide. All this was achieved within one day after the initial confirmed case. 

Gyeonggi Provincial Government issued an executive order forcibly closing Shincheonji Church’s religious facilities and prohibiting the gathering of its Assembly on the 24th as three congregation members - including ‘patient 31’ - had tested positive. Governor Jae-myeong Lee entered Shincheonji Church in Gwacheon on the 25th and conducted a forced investigation. In Gyeonggi province, there was no case of any infection at Shincheonji Church, yet there were still concerns. 

On that day, Governor Jae-myeong Lee visited the forced investigation site and declared, “In this ongoing war, we will not hold back until the list is secured. There’s no time to waste.” 

That day, Shincheonji Church provided a total of 245,605 names to health authorities - 212,324 domestically and then, on the 26th, 33,281 overseas. Shincheonji Church explained that they did not include a roster of current students because they had not yet been officially registered as church members, but then provided 65,127 names (54,176 domestically and 10,951 overseas) under the condition that the health authority assumes legal responsibility for any leakage of information. 

However, allegations from the established church that Shincheonji Church 'distorted data and submitted false information', defining Shincheonji Church as a heresy, continued. 

On March 2nd, at the press conference led by Chairman Man Hee Lee of Shincheonji Church, these allegations were clarified by the church’s spokespersons, but public opinion continued to sway in favour of the claims of the opposing side. 

Eventually, the Central Incident Emergency Headquarters' Special Management Task Force conducted an administrative investigation on the 5th, saying it would confirm suspicions among discrepancies between the lists. Health authorities formed an investigation team with the special management task force and a team of forensics from the Public Prosecutors' Office to conduct an onsite investigation at the headquarters of Shincheonji Church. 

Gang-lip Kang, head of the Central Incident Emergency Headquarters' Special Management Task Force said, “The error was caused by a very minor difference.” The prosecution also confirmed that there was no difference among previously submitted data following analysis by the digital forensics team on the 17th. 

In spite of alleged suspicions raised by the established church and the wastage of nationwide administrative powers, the outbreak of COVID-19 in religious facilities in Gyeonggi province took place in non-Shincheonji Church establishments. 

As of 08:00 on the 18th, there were 278 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The number of people infected from religious gatherings was 75 (50 in River of Grace Community Church in Seongnam, 15 in Water of Life Church in Bucheon, and 10 in Well of Life Church in Suwon); a figure found to be 2.41 times greater than that of Shincheonji Church (31). 

The issue is that Gyeonggi province could not grasp the list of established churches claiming to be orthodox even in the context of the collective infection in the church. It was like Shinchon, but if you catch it, the virus will be blocked. Seongnam 'Eunhyeui River Church', where more than 50 confirmed cases were found, was not on the Gyeonggi provincial church list. Religious facilities are not subject to registration and reporting, but they have a different attitude from Governor Lee Jae-myung's urgent visit to the headquarters.

The issue is that Gyeonggi province could not grasp the list of established churches claiming to be orthodox even in the context of the collective infection in the church. It was like if they can catch Shincheonji Church of Jesus, then the virus will be blocked and the infection will be caught. Seongnam 'Eunhyeui River Church', where more than 50 confirmed cases were found, was not on the Gyeonggi provincial church list. Religious facilities are not subject to registration and reporting, but they have a different attitude from Governor Lee Jae-myung's urgent visit to the headquarters. 

It has been highlighted that Gyeonggi province neglected to identify facilities prone to cluster outbreaks such as religious facilities within the province and instead wasted unnecessary administrative powers guarding against Shincheonji Church who had cooperated with the government very well.

Governor Lee Jae-myeong speaks at an emergency press conference held at the Provincial Office for the prevention of COVID-19 within religious facilities on the 11th. 

In addition, Governor Jae-myeong Lee issued an order banning gatherings for 137 churches in Gyeonggi province on the 18th. 

The governor said, “After reviewing the order on the ban of religious gatherings, we accepted the religious order that the autonomous measures to prevent the spread of infection were possible, and suspended the administrative order.” He added “Group worship was held in 137 places." 

Criticism has also arisen that these collective outbreaks could have been prevented through administrative orders made against these 137 facilities, even if the list of suspected churches was not finalised. This is a very different approach to the prevention of cluster outbreak and the closing of an entire facility as had happened with Shincheonji Church, and 'quickly' to secure a list because there might be one missing place. 

In addition, in 'Eunhyeui River Church', it was revealed that the pastor and his wife, known as the anti-Shincheonji heresy, infected churchgoers with the virus after spraying salt-water into their mouths. This news has spread very quickly through the Internet. 

This is the reason why Gyeonggi Provincial Government is striving to properly inform the public about COVID-19, not to mislead the public and to exercise proper administrative powers.

On the 16th, at River of Grace Community Church, about 40 people - including families - tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). At River of Grace Community Church, where six people - including a pastor and his wife - were positive for COVID-19, there was a total of 46 confirmed cases of COVID-19 after 40 other churchgoers were infected. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the church took voluntary measures for two weeks from the 9th to the 22nd.

 River of Grace Community Church in Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province.

To read the full article as it was published in Cheonji Ilbo (Daily), click herehttp://bit.ly/2U0Yf97