CDC "Investigating Attendees of Shincheonji Lee Man-hee's Older Brother's Funeral"

"No Confirmed Entries from China So Far"

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters (left), is answering reporters' questions after concluding a regular briefing on the domestic status of the novel coronavirus infection and the interim investigation results of confirmed patients at the Korea Disease Control Headquarters in Cheongju, Chungbuk, on the afternoon of the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] Health authorities are investigating the list of attendees at the funeral of the older brother of Lee Man-hee, the founder of Shincheonji, in connection with the Shincheonji Daegu Church (Shincheonji Jesus Church of the Testimony of the Tabernacle of the Testimony Daegu Branch), where a large-scale cluster infection of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has occurred.

On the 24th, Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, stated, "We are investigating the possibility of a link because the onset times of confirmed cases at Cheongdo Daenam Hospital and Shincheonji Daegu Church are similar."

Director Jung explained, "There is a possibility that church members may have visited Daenam Hospital or that some workers there might be church members," adding, "We are investigating various hypotheses one by one to rule them out."

She added, "So far, investigations have not been conducted on Chinese nationals or those who have traveled to Wuhan, Hubei Province, China."

Near Shincheonji Daegu Church in Daemyeong-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu, officials from the Nam-gu Health Center are conducting disinfection. / Image source=Yonhap News

According to earlier reports from health authorities, the funeral of the chairman’s older brother was held from the 31st of last month to the 2nd of this month in the basement level 1 of the Daenam Hospital funeral hall.

It is known that about 40 Shincheonji church members attended the funeral. In particular, it is expected that Chinese believers also attended, and health authorities are currently verifying this.

In response, Shincheonji stated on their official YouTube channel on the 23rd, "We are currently identifying the church members who visited the funeral hall," and denied, "It is completely untrue that Chinese church members visited the funeral of the chairman’s older brother."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.