[Q&A] Lee Man-hee, General Assembly Chairman Who Apologized for COVID-19, Says "I Don't Even Know Much About Negative Cases"

Lee Man-hee, the president of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji), is holding up a letter at a press conference related to the COVID-19 situation held on the 2nd at the Shincheonji Palace of Peace in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Lee Man-hee, the chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, appeared in public and bowed twice to the public, apologizing. When asked if he had undergone testing for the new virus infection, he appeared to ramble, saying he was "not very sure about the negative result." Toward the end of the press conference, when reporters demanded additional questions, he raised his voice, saying, "If there is no order, it will become a mess."

On the 2nd, Chairman Lee Man-hee held a press conference at the Peace Palace, a Shincheonji training center located in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province. Chairman Lee appeared in a gray suit with a yellow tie and bowed deeply twice, saying, "I apologize to the people. I am grateful for the efforts made for our church. I ask the government for forgiveness."

Lee Man-hee, the president of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji), is holding a press conference on the COVID-19 situation on the 2nd at the Shincheonji Palace of Peace in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do. The watch on President Lee's wrist, engraved with the name of former President Park Geun-hye, attracts attention. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

The gold watch captured when Chairman Lee bowed drew attention as it bore the name of former President Park Geun-hye. This watch is known to be similar to the one President Park gifted to meritorious persons and VIPs after her inauguration in 2013.

At the press conference, Chairman Lee read a statement apologizing to the public and expressing gratitude for the government's efforts to prevent the spread. He said, "We will do our best with all our strength and spare no human or material support," adding, "We will make every effort going forward, and we are aware of our mistakes." He also read a special letter from the chairman that had previously been disclosed to the media.

Lee Man-hee, the president of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji), is performing a deep bow at a press conference related to the COVID-19 situation held on the 2nd at the Shincheonji Palace of Peace in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

Below is a Q&A session with Chairman Lee Man-hee during the press conference. A Shincheonji official sat beside Chairman Lee during the Q&A.

- Do you really believe in eternal life?

▲(Shincheonji official) We will not answer religious questions.

- You say you know your mistakes, so why hold a press conference so late?

▲As I mentioned, because of such matters in the family, we were so busy just trying to block things out that it was really chaotic. The church was told to close, meetings as well, and even today, look, everything is closed. Because of this, there is no one to work. If there were people, we could do everything. The government is also working, so if we don’t cooperate, how would that be? But as I said and read, I am grateful to be able to talk with you all, even if belatedly.

- You said the coronavirus is the work of the devil. Do you really think so? Are you in self-quarantine? When and where did you get tested?

▲Regarding COVID-19, I don’t know much. I was contacted to get tested, and since they came, I got tested, but I don’t really know the results. There are talks that it was negative. They say negative, but I don’t really understand negative. However, every October, I get a flu shot because if I catch the flu, I can’t meet people. This time too, several organizations wanted to quickly inform people, so I was contacted to get tested. I got tested on February 29 and received the results on March 2.

- When did you come to the Peace Palace, and where have you been until now?

▲I came on February 17. But I can’t stay in one place. I have to go back and forth to handle things. I went back and forth. (After the Shincheonji official suggested saying "I was here") I was here and there.

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