Cheong "Hope Some Church Services Do Not Become Unexpected Variables"

President Moon Jae-in's Concern Message on 'Weekend Worship Persistence,' Cheongwadae's Additional Explanation... "For the Safety of Worshippers Themselves, Neighbors, and the Public"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] The Blue House expressed hope that the weekend worship services held by some churches would not become an unexpected variable in the prevention of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

A senior official from the Blue House told reporters on the 20th, "We are approaching the weekend worship services. There was a report that 553 churches in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, are going ahead with weekend services," adding, "Seoul city stated that if the seven major rules are not followed, it will issue a ban on worship services and claim compensation."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The senior Blue House official said, "Excluding the case of Seongnam Eunhyeui Gang (COVID-19 confirmed case), the number of confirmed cases in our country is expected to have dropped to the 40s," pointing out that "small-scale cluster infections have occurred through church worship services."

The senior Blue House official said, "COVID-19 prevention has reached a critical turning point. We barely managed to keep the daily confirmed cases in the 80s, and the president, who must prioritize the safety of the people, issued a message after careful consideration. It is for health and safety."

The senior Blue House official emphasized, "This does not mean that religious freedom is not recognized. It is for the safety of the believers themselves, broadly speaking, their neighbors and the public," currently, Buddhism has suspended Dharma assemblies, and Catholicism has suspended Masses. Many churches have switched to online worship. This is a problem limited to some churches."

Earlier, President Moon Jae-in said, "The weekend has come again. I thank many churches for their cooperation. However, I am still worried because there are quite a few churches that intend to hold worship services," adding, "I hope the central government will not leave it only to local governments but actively support the measures taken by local governments."

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