Shincheonji Church, The Super Spreading Corona Virus In South Korea

Corona virus inspection (doc. Yonhap)

JAKARTA - Among the countries affected by the corona virus, South Korea is one of the countries that has spread the fastest. The South Korean government has successfully confirmed 977 cases of the corona virus in recent weeks.

There are many factors behind the corona virus transmission in Daegu, South Korea. One of them happened at Shincheonji Church, a medical event called super-spreading or the spread of the corona virus to many people at once around the patient.

Reporting from the Washington Post, a 61-year-old female congregation is believed to be 'patient zero' who first spread the coronavirus to dozens of other church congregants. It was reported that the middle-aged woman continued to attend the convention, despite experiencing a high fever even though she denied having ever traveled abroad.

Roughly speaking, it is said that the average spread of the corona virus can infect 2.2 other people who are around the patient. The initial allegation was that this middle-aged woman had transmitted the corona virus to 52 other congregants while undergoing church services. The number of patients infected with the corona virus is increasing, along with the number of patients who have died in this case.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the corona virus that was endemic in Daegu has an incubation period that is different from the spread of other viruses. In this case, the city government temporarily suspended the activities of the Shincheonji church.

Quoted from the Korea Herald, Moon said the closure of the church did not aim to limit religious activities. It's just that this closing step was carried out, following the number of corona virus patients who came from people who visited the Shincheonji church.

Moreover, the worship procedures in this church, which do not allow congregants to wear face coverings such as masks or glasses during services. This is also what is believed to be the rapid spread of the corona virus.

Meanwhile, Shincheonji spokesman Kim Si-mon denied that his church activities were the focal point of the spread of the corona virus in South Korea. "The media reported that it was like we were the ones who made the virus spread, telling how our worship was, where in fact we were just sitting on the floor to organize people," he was quoted as saying on his official website.

Shincheonji Church is a sect church founded by Lee Man Hee, in 1984. This sect claims that Lee Man Hee is the second figure of Jesus. For his followers, Lee is the savior who will take 144 thousand people on a journey to heaven on Judgment Day.

They recruited people by handing out leaflets, and offering Bible guidance to the public. Sometimes they also offer cultural trips to tourists who are on vacation in South Korea. Shincheonji Church has also now opened branches in South Africa, Congo, Costa Rica and China.