Government and Seoul City File Complaint Against Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon for "Quarantine Violation and Spreading False Information" (Comprehensive)

Jungsubon: "Former Pastor Instructed or Allowed Obstruction of Epidemiological Investigation"
Seoul City: "Violated Self-Quarantine and Spread False Information"

Senior Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church, who was indicted for violating the Public Official Election Act, is answering questions from the press as he enters the courtroom for the first trial held on the 29th at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] On the 16th, the government and Seoul City filed a complaint against Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon, the head pastor of Sarang Jeil Church, who violated the self-quarantine measures for COVID-19 by attending gatherings and omitted and concealed the list of investigation targets.

On the 16th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) announced, "We have reported Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, where multiple confirmed cases occurred, to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on charges of violating self-quarantine measures and obstructing epidemiological investigations by omitting and concealing the list of investigation targets."

The CDSCH mentioned that church officials urged congregants heading to screening clinics for diagnostic tests to get tested after the gathering on the 15th, explaining, "It appears that Pastor Jeon either instructed or tacitly allowed and aided the obstruction of the epidemiological investigation."

Seoul City also announced on the same day that it filed a complaint against Pastor Jeon and church officials for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act by deliberately delaying congregants' diagnostic tests through violating self-quarantine orders and spreading false information. Seoul City stated, "Despite being responsible for quarantine and a self-quarantine subject, they violated self-quarantine and spread false information, deliberately delaying congregants' diagnostic tests," adding, "This is a clear illegal act threatening the safety and lives of the community."

As of 12 noon on the same day, the cumulative number of confirmed cases at Sarang Jeil Church, where a cluster infection occurred, rose to 249. Related confirmed cases are emerging not only in Seoul but also in Daejeon, Uijeongbu, Cheonan, Goyang, Suwon, and other areas.

Pastor Jeon received a self-quarantine notice but attended a conservative group rally held on the 15th in Jongno-gu, Seoul, claiming, "They committed a Wuhan virus terror to prevent me from coming to this place," and "The virus did not occur gradually but was poured into our church," sparking controversy.

Meanwhile, it was found that one in four people tested for COVID-19 related to Sarang Jeil Church tested positive. The government is repeatedly urging Sarang Jeil Church congregants to actively undergo diagnostic testing. At a briefing held at the Government Seoul Office on the same day, Park Neung-hoo, the first head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH), stated, "As of yesterday, about 800 people related to Sarang Jeil Church were tested, and about 200 were confirmed positive, showing a high positivity rate of approximately 25%."

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