"Shincheonji Strong Response" Lee Jae-myung... "Acknowledged Work Ability" vs "Noisy Show"

On the afternoon of the 2nd, Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, arrived at the 'Palace of Peace,' the Shincheonji training center in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporters Suwan Kim and intern Juhyung Lim] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, continues to take strong measures against Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji) in relation to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

While swiftly closing some Shincheonji facilities and raiding the Shincheonji Gwacheon headquarters to secure a list of believers, showing prompt administrative action, some critics argue that this might be a 'political show.'

Earlier, as COVID-19 rapidly spread centered on attendees of Shincheonji Church services in Daegu, Governor Lee issued an emergency administrative order to prevent community infection.

The order mandated the forced closure of Shincheonji religious facilities within Gyeonggi Province and banned gatherings. Accordingly, all official Shincheonji church facilities, as well as 'Gospel Rooms' used for evangelism, education, and fellowship, Shincheonji centers, and cafes were all shut down.

Additionally, Gyeonggi Province stationed public officials at a total of 353 Shincheonji facilities, including 239 locations disclosed by Shincheonji and others identified through citizen reports, to prevent believers from gathering, and also initiated a forced epidemiological investigation of the Shincheonji Gwacheon headquarters.

At that time, Governor Lee personally directed the operation, mobilizing two provincial epidemiologists, 25 epidemiological support personnel, and two digital forensic experts from the Gyeonggi Provincial Special Judicial Police Unit. Ultimately, he secured the lists of 33,821 Shincheonji believers in Gyeonggi Province and 9,930 believers attending services at the Gwacheon headquarters.

Some netizens praised Governor Lee's strong and swift administrative capabilities, commenting, "Lee Jae-myung is impressive," "I acknowledge his work ability," and "Let's support him for president next."

Lee Man-hee, President of Shincheonji / Photo by Yonhap News

However, some critics accused Governor Lee of conducting a so-called 'political show' to gain popularity.

In particular, on the 2nd, Governor Lee posted on his Facebook, stating, "Chairman Lee Man-hee left immediately after the press conference," and "I will personally go to Gapyeong to conduct the (COVID-19) testing."

Less than an hour later, he posted again, saying, "If Chairman Lee refuses to provide a specimen, he will be reported for refusing epidemiological investigation and will be immediately arrested as a suspect and handed over to the police," adding, "This is the final warning."

As announced, Governor Lee arrived at the Peace Training Center in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, where Chairman Lee was staying, but the chairman had already left.

Some netizens questioned whether it was necessary to broadcast this process live on social media if the purpose was simply to collect a specimen from Chairman Lee.

Netizens also criticized Governor Lee, saying, "Was it necessary to make such a fuss?" and "Isn't he just focusing on media play?"

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