Government officials closing down a branch of the Shincheonji church in Gwangju, South Korea, last month.Credit…Ryu Hyung-Geun/Yonhap, via Associated Press.
The battle against the deadly coronavirus is reaching a critical moment in South Korea, with the government’s culture minister asking churches and other faith bodies to stop gathering until it is contained.
The nation reported 516 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday (March 4) as thousands of sick people waited for hospital beds in Daegu, the city at the centre of the worst outbreak outside mainland China.
According to media sources, Health officials in South Korea expect the number of new cases to be high for the near future as they complete the testing of more than 200,000 clusters.
“I earnestly ask [you] to refrain from any religious services and gatherings for a while in order to prevent further coronavirus infections and the extension of the situation,” culture minister Park Yang-woo told South Koreans.
Christianheadlines.com reported that Yoido Full Gospel Church, located in South Korea’s Capital Seoul, and considered to be the largest church in the world by membership (approximately 800,000), suspended public services and said it would launch online services for members.
Seoul’s Myungsung Church — a Presbyterian congregation with 80,000 members — suspended services after two members, including a pastor, came down with coronavirus.
Cleric apologises for virus spread
More than half of the coronavirus cases in South Korean are being linked to a branch of the Shincheonji church in Daegu led by Lee Man-hee.
The 88-year-old, wearing a white face mask, told assembled journalists on Monday he was remorseful that so many patients were tied to his church.
“Although it was not intentional, many people have been infected,” he said. “We put our utmost efforts, but were unable to prevent it all.”
With his Church labelled as a ‘cult, Lee Man-hee denied claims that its actions contributed to the epidemic, saying that the church has been cooperating with the government the best as possible.
“We immediately cooperated, but there’s really nothing I can say,” Lee said. Church spokesman Kim Shin-chang told the BBC they had provided a list of members, students, and buildings to authorities.
A news agency said that in January some members of the church visited the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the disease emerged late last year.
Meanwhile, South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday declared “war” on the virus, apologized for shortages of face masks and promised support for virus-hit small businesses in Asia’s fourth-biggest economy.
