Shincheonji: "2 Followers Died Due to Persecution" "Please Stop Hatred and Criticism"

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@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Shincheonji Church of Jesus (Shincheonji) appealed to stop the persecution against Shincheonji while explaining about the church members who died on the 9th.

On the 10th, Shincheonji released a statement revealing that 61-year-old Deacon A from Daegu Church and 43-year-old Deacon B from Jeongeup Church passed away the previous night, and explained the circumstances of their deaths.

Regarding Deacon A, Shincheonji stated, "He tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) on February 22 and was under self-quarantine. Due to high fever symptoms, he was admitted to Dongsan Hospital on the 24th," adding, "On the 26th, he was transferred to Yeungnam University Hospital due to respiratory distress caused by pneumonia, and on the 8th to 9th of this month, intestinal bleeding occurred, worsening his condition. He passed away on the night of the 9th."

Regarding Deacon B, they said, "Since joining in 2018, he had been persecuted within his family," and "After the COVID-19 outbreak, as the media portrayed Shincheonji as the source of COVID-19, family conflicts worsened." They continued, "There was a dispute on the evening of the 9th, and it is reported that Deacon B fell from a high floor," adding, "The police are currently investigating."

Shincheonji stated, "So far, there have been a total of five church members who died after testing positive for COVID-19 (Daegu Church), and two deaths due to persecution (Ulsan and Jeongeup)," adding, "In addition, some members have been physically abused or dismissed from work at home, and some have had their names publicly disclosed in local communities, receiving hundreds of mocking and critical phone calls."

Finally, they said, "Please stop the hatred, stigma, and criticism directed at COVID-19 confirmed patients, and remember that they are also citizens who deserve protection," adding, "Shincheonji will earnestly pray and fulfill its responsibilities to prevent community spread and end COVID-19."

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