As COVID-19 Cases Pile Up In South Korea, It Blames Religious Sect Leader For Sudden Spike
South Korea accused the leader of a religious sect of violating self-isolation rules and obstructing investigations into the nation's biggest outbreak of COVID-19 in five months, as per a Reuters report.
South Korea accused the leader of a religious sect of violating self-isolation rules and obstructing investigations into the nation's biggest outbreak of COVID-19 in five months, as per a Reuters report.
South Korea reported 279 fresh cases on Sunday, much more than the 103 reported on Friday.
Reuters
Seoul saw a record 146 new cases, out of which 107 were linked to Sarang Jeil Church led by Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon, a controversial pastor and an outspoken government critic.
The health ministry said it will file a complaint against Jun, accusing him of violating self-isolation rules by participating in a rally on Saturday and ¡°obstructing¡± epidemiological investigation by failing to submit a full list of church members for testing and tracing.
Reuters (Representational)
Thousands of demonstrators took to the street on the Aug 15 - liberation day - protesting against President Moon Jae-in¡¯s policies and defying a ban on rallies in the capital.
The surge in COVID-19 cases prompted authorities on Sunday to reimpose tighter social distancing curbs, and President Moon warned of ¡°stern and strong measures¡± against ¡°some churches¡±, calling their behaviour an ¡°unforgivable act that threatens public lives.¡±
Reuters
Jun¡¯s church did not respond to telephone calls from Reuters seeking comment.
Another Christian sect, Shincheonji Church of Jesus, was at the centre of the country¡¯s largest outbreak of COVID-19 infections in February. The secretive group was linked to 36% of South Korea¡¯s total cases, and on August 1, South Korean authorities arrested its founder, Lee Man-hee, for allegedly hiding crucial information from contact-tracers.
