Jeonbuk Province Issues Administrative Order to Close Shincheonji Facilities and Ban Gatherings

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Jeonbuk Province announced on the 26th that it has issued an administrative order to forcibly close 66 Shincheonji facilities identified within the province and prohibit gatherings.

Along with this, on the same day, Jeonbuk Province dispatched a joint team of 132 provincial and city/county employees to all 66 locations, including 63 churches and affiliated facilities announced by Shincheonji and 3 additional sites identified. They affixed closure and gathering prohibition stickers issued under the name of Governor Song Ha-jin.

This administrative order includes temporary closure and prohibition of gatherings to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in accordance with Article 47, Clause 1 and Article 49, Paragraph 1, Clause 2 of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. Violations of this order may result in a fine of up to 3 million won.

Jeonbuk Province and city/county governments will continuously monitor the 66 Shincheonji religious facilities daily and promptly conduct on-site investigations of any suspected Shincheonji facilities reported through tips, maintaining ongoing inspections.

A Jeonbuk Province official stated, “As COVID-19 is spreading centered around Shincheonji, this measure is to protect the safety of residents and the region while considering the health of Shincheonji members. We are also requesting cooperation from other religious groups to refrain from gatherings in confined indoor spaces or events with large participation for the time being and to conduct religious activities via broadcasting, internet, and mobile platforms.”

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