Seoul City "Shincheonji Corporation Cancellation Hearing on the 13th"... Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital Closure Lifted (Comprehensive)

Sent official letter to Chairman Lee Man-hee
No response yet from Shincheonji

More than 170 Shincheonji facilities
Seoul City: "Providing false information"

No more infected patients at Seoul Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital
Resumption of treatment to be decided later

After 'Social Distancing' campaign
Bus and subway traffic volume decreased

Mayor Park Won-soon of Seoul (Photo by Asia Economy DB)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] The Seoul Metropolitan Government has officially begun the procedure to dissolve the incorporated association of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji).

On the 6th, Yoo Yeon-sik, head of the Seoul Cultural Headquarters, stated at a regular briefing on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), "We plan to proceed with the hearing process next Friday, the 13th, and cancel the association," adding, "We sent an official letter to the president, but have not yet received a response regarding who will attend."

Yoo said, "If they do not attend, the process will be concluded as is," and added, "Usually, a representative attends."

According to Article 38 of the Civil Act (Cancellation of Incorporation Permission), if a corporation engages in activities beyond its purpose, violates the conditions of incorporation permission, or otherwise harms the public interest, the competent authority may cancel the permission. Seoul considers that Shincheonji has engaged in activities harmful to the public interest.

The city also clarified that Shincheonji submitted false information regarding its facilities. While the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 170 Shincheonji facilities in Seoul, the city’s inspections based on reports from Christian groups and citizens confirmed that 202 locations are actually in use as facilities.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Yoo stated, "They operated under various names such as cultural centers, study cafes, beauty salons, and meeting rooms," and added, "We plan to conduct a comprehensive investigation and closure of 47 accommodation sites listed by Shincheonji through a full survey."

Meanwhile, Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital in Seoul, where a cluster infection was feared, is expected to lift its closure on the 9th. Na Baek-joo, head of the Seoul Citizen Health Bureau, explained, "There have been no additional confirmed cases for a considerable period, and experts have reviewed the lifting of the closure multiple times," adding, "Since the quarantine period must be fully completed, the closure is expected to be lifted next week." Na also said, "The resumption of medical services will be decided after confirming the necessary measures."

Additionally, the city urged citizens to practice social distancing. Since the 'Pause for a Moment' campaign began, subway usage from the 2nd to the 4th decreased by 37.4%, and bus usage dropped by 32.5% compared to January.

Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul, said, "This is a critical moment when we must keep our distance through social distancing and pause our daily lives temporarily," adding, "I am confident that the social benefits gained from this pause will be several tens of times greater, and if the entire nation unites in this pause to build a social immunity system, we will be able to overcome the COVID-19 virus easily."

As of 10 a.m. that day, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Seoul increased by one from the previous day to 106. Songpa-gu has the highest number with 12 cases, followed by Jongno-gu with 11, and Gangnam-gu with 10. The cluster infection in Jongno-gu is presumed to have spread from Myeongnyun Church in Hyehwa-dong to the Jongno Senior Welfare Center.

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