20s Who Attended Shincheonji Gathering Fined After Leaving Hospital Following Sample Collection

Court. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Min Jun-young] A man in his 20s who claimed to have visited the Shincheonji Daegu Church, where a COVID-19 cluster infection occurred, and then left the hospital, was sentenced to a fine.

The Gwangju District Court Criminal Division 10 (Judge Kim Dong-kwan) announced on the 20th that it sentenced A (23) to a fine of 1.5 million won for violating the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act.

The court stated, "Despite the very serious situation of COVID-19 spread at the time, A violated the obligation to undergo COVID-19 testing and quarantine treatment without any special reason, which is a serious offense."

It added, "However, considering that A has reflected on his wrongdoing, the issue seems to have arisen due to a pre-existing illness, and that he ultimately tested negative, preventing further transmission," explaining the reasons for sentencing.

A was previously prosecuted for fleeing through the back gate without waiting for the results after specimen collection for a COVID-19 positive test at a negative pressure room in a university hospital in Gwangju around 7:32 p.m. on February 22, and wandering around downtown Gwangju for about an hour.

On the same day, at around 3:57 p.m., A collapsed at a large bookstore in Gwangju.

Afterwards, when emergency medical technicians who responded to the report arrived, A claimed, "I am a Shincheonji believer. I had contact with a Chinese person. I attended a Shincheonji meeting in Daegu."

Accordingly, the paramedics transported A to the hospital and he entered self-quarantine, and the bookstore temporarily closed on its own.

However, it was not confirmed that A had visited Daegu, and he tested negative in the COVID-19 diagnostic test.

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