Shincheonji Reacts in CNN Interview, Saying "Government Tries to Shift Responsibility"

On the 19th of last month, health center officials from Nam-gu Office were conducting disinfection work near the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daemyeong-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] The Shincheonji Church claimed that the government is trying to shift the responsibility for the COVID-19 outbreak onto Shincheonji.

On the 1st (local time), Kim Shin-chang, head of Shincheonji's International Mission Department, said in an interview with CNN, "It is questionable whether the Korean government is exaggerating the connection between Shincheonji and the spread of COVID-19 or trying to shift the blame."

Kim opposed the Ministry of Justice's disclosure of travel records of 42 church members who had visited Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, since July last year.

He said, "The COVID-19 outbreak began in December last year," and added, "I want to ask why the Ministry of Justice did not disclose the travel records of all Korean nationals or Chinese who traveled to Wuhan from July, but only disclosed the records of 42 believers."

Kim stated, "We closed all offices and switched to remote work so that all believers could self-quarantine to prevent further spread, and postponed all administrative tasks," adding, "While there may have been areas where we could have done better, we want to emphasize that we did our best in this situation."

Photo by CNN US Broadcast Interview Capture

Regarding the criticism that Shincheonji believers are reluctant to reveal their identities, he explained, "It is not an intention to conceal important information or obstruct government investigations," and said, "Shincheonji is perceived as a heretical group, and many believers are being discriminated against because of this."

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