"'National Nuisance' Jeon Gwang-hoon Reincarceration Request Surpasses 200,000 Signatures in Two Days on Blue House Petition"

Cumulative Confirmed Cases Related to Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul Reach 249

The photo shows Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon holding a press conference in June regarding the eviction execution of the church.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A Blue House petition urging the re-imprisonment of Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon, the head pastor of Sarang Jeil Church, received over 200,000 signatures just two days after being posted on the 17th. Despite concerns from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the police about the spread of COVID-19, Pastor Jeon went ahead with a large-scale rally on Liberation Day.

On the 15th, a post titled "We urge the re-imprisonment of 'public nuisance' Jeon Gwang-hoon" was uploaded on the Blue House petition board. As of 1:40 PM on the 17th, the petition had gathered approximately 217,600 signatures, meeting the official response requirement from the Blue House.

The petitioner began by saying, "Jeon Gwang-hoon, the head pastor of Sarang Jeil Church, was released on bail on April 20th. It was 56 days after being detained. The plea strategy of 'risk of sudden death' worked."

He continued, "What was the result? After being released on bail, Jeon has been relentlessly holding various rallies attended by thousands, obsessively collecting membership fees and offerings, and even undermining the efforts of quarantine authorities who are working hard to end COVID-19."

He also criticized, "Although a large number of COVID-19 cases have occurred at Sarang Jeil Church where Jeon is the head pastor, he shows no sign of remorse or concern for the health of his congregation."

A Blue House petition demanding the re-imprisonment of Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon, the head pastor of Sarang Jeil Church, gained the support of more than 200,000 people within two days of being posted on the 17th. / Photo by Blue House Petition Board capture.

In particular, the petitioner stated, "According to media reports, Jeon told congregants with suspected COVID-19 symptoms to delay getting tested. Another media outlet confirmed through interviews that some attendees at Jeon's rallies said, 'Even if I have a fever, I don't get tested,'" explaining, "This is because Jeon has paralyzed his supporters' judgment with conspiracy theories against the government."

He added, "Previously, a media report received appeals from people who were in tears because their family members, misled by Jeon, attended various rallies during the COVID-19 crisis and even brought money to offer," expressing anger by saying, "This is heartbreaking. It is an atrocity that cannot be justified in the name of religion."

Furthermore, the petitioner emphasized, "Churches should be the last bastion of social safety nets," and raised his voice, "Jeon, who ignores the reality of overlapping disasters such as COVID-19 and flood damage, focusing solely on 'money' and 'power,' is only making our society sick."

Finally, he urged, "Please re-imprison Jeon, who hides behind religion but harms our society's safety," stressing, "Jeon's detention is a new start for quarantine."

Earlier, followers of Sarang Jeil Church led by Pastor Jeon and conservative groups held a large-scale rally criticizing the government and ruling party in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, on the 15th, despite the Seoul Metropolitan Government's order to ban gatherings.

Pastor Jeon was initially notified to self-quarantine but attended the rally that day, claiming, "They poured virus germs into our church to prevent me from coming here today."

The Seoul Metropolitan Government filed charges against Pastor Jeon and church officials for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.

Seo Jeong-hyeop, acting mayor of Seoul, held a regular COVID-19 briefing at Seoul City Hall on the morning of the 16th and said, "We will definitely hold those responsible for the spread of COVID-19 accountable," adding, "We will file charges against Pastor Jeon and church officials for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act."

Acting Mayor Seo emphasized, "Despite being responsible for quarantine and a self-quarantine subject, Pastor Jeon violated self-quarantine, spread false information, and deliberately delayed congregants' diagnostic tests. This is a clear illegal act that threatens the safety and lives of the community."

Meanwhile, according to quarantine authorities, as of noon the previous day, the number of confirmed cases related to Sarang Jeil Church increased by more than 100, bringing the total to 249.

This is the third-largest cluster infection case in the country, following the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony in Daegu (5,214 cases), and the Itaewon clubs in Seoul (277 cases).

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