"Stop Corona" vs "Religious Oppression" Lee Jae-myung's Heated Debate Over Religious Gathering Ban Proposal (Comprehensive)

Lee Jae-myung "Preventing COVID-19 Spread... Restricting Religious Gatherings" Concerns
Jin Joong-kwon "Even the President Can't Touch the Value of Faith"
Citizens Engage in Fierce Debate Over Governor Lee's Remarks

Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung held a briefing on the afternoon of the 28th of last month on the 2nd floor of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government building in Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi Province, announcing the results of a full survey on symptoms of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) among 33,582 Shincheonji members in the province.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] When Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung was asked about his opinion on issuing an "emergency order to completely ban religious gatherings" to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), former Dongyang University professor Jin Jung-kwon strongly opposed it, saying, "The value of faith is something even the president cannot touch."

There is a heated debate over banning religious gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Currently, the post Lee made on his Facebook (SNS) has over 2,000 comments as of 11:50 a.m. today (the 8th) and has been shared more than 400 times, sparking intense discussions.

On the 7th, Lee posted on his SNS, "Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul and accounts for a quarter of our country's population, must prevent a COVID-19 pandemic," and added, "We are reviewing an emergency order to completely ban religious gatherings and are seeking opinions."

He continued, "Due to the nature of religious events, religious gatherings have been pointed out as vulnerable to infection, and actual cluster infection cases have appeared, but since it involves restricting the freedom of religious activities guaranteed by the constitution, it is not an easy issue."

Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung posted on his Facebook on the 7th that gatherings of religious groups could be restricted to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Photo by Lee Jae-myung, Gyeonggi Governor, Facebook capture.

However, he explained the justification for restricting the freedom of religious gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID-19, saying, "Freedom of religion can also be restricted for the life and safety of the people, and Article 49 of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act allows for orders to ban gatherings, etc. Since the lives of the people and the safety of the community are threatened by the emergency situation caused by COVID-19, active and strong preventive measures are inevitable."

He added, "If religious gatherings are forcibly banned, tremendous backlash and criticism are expected, but my job is to protect the safety of the community, and I have been given the authority to overcome unavoidable backlash," emphasizing, "I will bear the criticism as part of the responsibility corresponding to that authority."

Former Dongyang University Professor Jin Joong-kwon. Photo by JTBC New Year Special Debate

◆ Jin Jung-kwon: "Will you mobilize the police to physically confront worshippers?"

Regarding Governor Lee's remarks on the possibility of restricting religious gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID-19, former professor Jin stated on his Facebook on the 8th that he "opposes (Governor Lee's idea)."

Jin said, "The majority of Christian churches are actively cooperating with quarantine measures," and "coercive measures will provoke backlash from churches and only produce counterproductive effects."

He pointed out, "Even if only a few, churches should not be turned into enemies, and since South Korea is a democratic country, freedom of faith is something even the president cannot infringe upon. It is not a value that a mere provincial governor can recklessly touch, so the only way is to appeal for maximum cooperation."

He asked, "If pastors do not listen, they should strongly urge worshippers to hold home worship services to reduce attendance," and questioned, "Are you going to shut down churches? Will you mobilize the police to physically confront worshippers?"

Jin emphasized, "Governor Lee's duty is to implement quarantine measures for churches that insist on Sunday worship, such as thorough disinfection at entrances, having worshippers sit apart, frequent indoor ventilation by opening windows, and so on. If infections occur despite these measures, it is the pastors, not the governor, who should be held responsible."

He then sharply stated, "(Governor Lee) should focus on quarantine, not politics."

On the afternoon of the 2nd, Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, arrived at the 'Palace of Peace,' the Sincheonji training center in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ In response to criticism "Why attack Christians?" Lee says, "I am also a person of faith"

Regarding Governor Lee's remarks on restricting religious gatherings, citizens are leaving comments on his Facebook and engaging in intense debates. Lee is actively exchanging opinions with citizens through replies.

One citizen commented on Lee's Facebook, "Are you only restricting the one-hour weekly worship service while disinfecting daily and wearing masks? Countries like Taiwan and Mongolia, which banned Chinese entry, have confirmed cases less than 1/100 of ours. Currently, our country is banned or restricted from entry by over 100 countries. Remember, the cause of COVID-19 spread is not Daegu but the pro-China government."

In response, Lee said, "I must faithfully carry out the duties assigned to me within my authority. I have an obligation to focus on administration rather than politics as much as possible, and the most important responsibility at this moment is prevention and response."

Another citizen said, "Medical staff are doing well with diagnosis and treatment, but the problem is the failure in quarantine. The responsibility for the failure in quarantine does not lie with Governor Lee, but certainly with President Moon Jae-in." They added, "Focusing on administration is good, but I think it is also one of your duties to publicly voice the government's incompetence in quarantine. Wouldn't you lose pro-Moon votes but gain the people's votes?"

Lee replied, "I will calculate the votes later."

Another citizen said, "I sympathize with your difficulties," but also emphasized, "Please deeply consider the meaning of Sunday worship. Since God is the owner of worship, it is not a matter that people can decide whether to hold or not, and I hope you understand the pastors' views (difficulties) on this."

They continued, "When a great epidemic struck Rome and corpses were piled up in the streets with no one daring to handle them, Christians worshipping in underground caves came out at night and purified the streets, risking infection. Above all, they had the conviction that they would not be infected. This is Christian faith that ordinary people find hard to understand."

They further stressed, "Churches that have stopped all other worship services and only hold Sunday worship have made this decision after great consideration. Churches holding Sunday worship also feel a strong social responsibility and are expected to actively cooperate in other areas."

Lee responded, "Do the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, or churches already holding home or online worship services not have such issues?"

When another citizen asked why Christians are being attacked, Lee replied, "I am also a person of faith, so why would I attack Christianity?"

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