Shincheonji nightmare should not be repeated
The Moon Jae-in government has decided to ban all religious gatherings in churches in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan areas starting Wendesday to prevent any further spread of COVID-19. Only online worship services are allowed under stricter social distancing guidelines.
The move came Tuesday after conservative pastor Jun Kwang-hoon was subject to severe criticism for noncooperation in stemming the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The public backlash is growing more intense against Jun's church, the Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, with it emerging as a new epicenter for infections. Concern is growing that the church could replay the nightmare of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the southeastern city of Daegu, the locus of the first wave of the pandemic in February and March.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), infections linked to the Sarang Jeil Church surged to 438 Tuesday. The church has emerged as the country's second-largest infection cluster after Shincheonji which has so far recorded 5,214 cases. In addition, infections related to the Woori Jeil Church in Yongin, south of Seoul, jumped to 147. Four cases were related to Seoul's Yoido Full Gospel Church.
South Korea is being hit by a second wave of infections. The ban on church gatherings came after the country began to raise social distancing by one notch to Level 2 in the three-tier system, Sunday. The number of new daily cases suddenly climbed to 103 Friday. It then reached 246, Tuesday, marking a triple-digit figure for the fifth straight day, and raising the country's total caseload to 15,761.
Under this worsening situation, churches and other religious groups should double down on cooperating with the health authorities in bringing COVID-19 under control. At the very least, they should not block the country's efforts to contain the coronavirus. In this regard, pastor Jun's reckless and risky behavior should not be tolerated anymore.
Jun has been hit for ignoring government warnings about a potential outbreak of the virus among his church members. He encouraged churchgoers, who should now be self-quarantined and tested, to attend anti-government rallies in central Seoul last weekend. He even gave a speech at a rally in Gwanghwamun Square, Saturday, despite being tested positive for the virus.
Jun should have refrained from appearing given that he was released on bail in April after being indicted for violating the Election Law the previous month. Now he faces a new charge of breaking the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. Additionally, he is suspected of breaking self-isolation measures and damaging the authorities' anti-infection efforts by submitting an inaccurate list of churchgoers.
The government and law enforcement agencies should take stern measures against Jun in order to prevent a repetition of the Shincheonji nightmare. Religious freedom is a constitutional right. But this does not mean that churches and other religious organizations have a license to jeopardize the health of the public.