'Opposition to Church Small Group Ban' Blue House National Petition Surpasses 200,000 in One Day

Government to impose fines and gathering bans for rule violations
Protestant community asks, "Why are only churches targeted?"

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Website Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] The government announced measures banning small gatherings, meal meetings, and other events related to Protestant churches, and within a day of a Blue House petition requesting the cancellation of this measure, the number of signatures exceeded 200,000.

On the 8th, a petition titled "Please cancel the government's ban on church events other than regular worship services" was posted on the Blue House petition board. As of 2 p.m. that day, the petition had received 276,529 endorsements.

If a petition posted on the Blue House website receives more than 200,000 endorsements within a month, the Blue House must issue an official response.

The petitioner stated, "Most of the reported COVID-19 cluster infections within churches were due to failure to follow quarantine guidelines," and added, "This government measure is a form of reverse discrimination against churches. While places where more people gather, such as clubs, karaoke rooms, restaurants, and cafes, face no significant restrictions, the government's limitation on church gatherings is incomprehensible."

They further pointed out that imposing sanctions on all churches based on a few cases is an excessive measure. "Of course, if quarantine rules are not followed, strong penalties are necessary, but imposing sanctions on all churches based on cases from a very small number of churches is an excessive quarantine measure, and churches that comply with quarantine rules have not reported cluster infections," they said.

They also criticized this as clear reverse discrimination against other religions/facilities and stated, "It is a violation by the government itself of Article 20, Clause 1 of the Constitution, which guarantees all citizens freedom of religion."

They urged, "Why is only the church being oppressed? Is this what freedom and democracy in the Republic of Korea mean? If not, please revoke the government's ban on church events other than regular worship services."

Earlier, the government announced that starting from 6 p.m. on the 10th, small gatherings, events, and group meals related to churches other than regular worship services would be prohibited. Violators may face fines of up to 3 million won and be subject to assembly bans. This measure was taken due to the frequent occurrence of cluster infections through church gatherings in the metropolitan area.

In response to the government's measure, the Korea Church Federation (HanGyoChong, Chairpersons Kim Taeyoung, Ryu Jeongho, and Moon Suseok), the largest Protestant union organization, issued a statement the same day expressing "inescapable bewilderment" and "deep regret."

HanGyoChong criticized, "This measure contradicts the church's efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19," and added, "At a time when HanGyoChong and the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) have jointly strongly recommended refraining from small gatherings and summer educational events within churches, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' announcement is a bureaucratic, face-saving measure."

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