The Shincheonji outbreak was the first major outbreak in S. Korea. We didn't know much then, there were few measures, & congregants unknowingly spread the virus among themselves.
Sarang Jeil Presbyterian Church: week after week, deliberately defied every measure, warning & ban.
Sarang Jeil Presbyterian Church: week after week, deliberately defied every measure, warning & ban.
While we can draw parallels to the Shincheonji outbreak, there are also clear differences. This time, it's malicious. The radical Sarang Jeil Presbyterian Church has been aggressive in defying every rule and ban.
For instance, after the Shincheonji outbreak, some congregants went into hiding both because of the COVID-19 stigma but also being branded a weird cult. Yes, they were accused of hampering containment efforts due to hiding. Same happened for gay club outbreak.
All Shincheonji facilities were closed, and for all intents and purposes, they disappeared, minus several at the top being arrested.
Meanwhile, Sarang Jeil Presbyterian Church has been continued to gather, telling members God will cure them from COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Sarang Jeil Presbyterian Church has been continued to gather, telling members God will cure them from COVID-19.
As for the gay club outbreak, the minute it broke out, LGBTQ rights groups formed a task force together and urged members of the gay community to come forward and get tested ASAP.
Meanwhile, the opposite is true for this outbreak. The church has reportedly been telling members to basically not get tested. The government is furious and threatening with legal action.
The church, which knew the dangers and risks and basically didn't give damn, went ahead and organised a mass anti-gov rally in downtown Seoul, with many more radical Christians from across the country joining in.
Meanwhile, President Moon Jae-in too is furious, says that putting people's lives at risk is "unforgivable" and vowing to take stern actions.
