"Amen Amen Amen" How COVID-19 from Jeon Kwang-hoon Sarang Jeil Church Exploded

Singing Hymns Together and Praying Aloud
Church Worship Characteristics Facilitate Coronavirus Spread
Former Pastor Violates Self-Quarantine Rules in Sermon... Tested Positive the Day Before

Senior Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). A quarantine official stated on the 17th, "Pastor Jeon has been confirmed as a COVID-19 positive case."
The photo shows Pastor Jeon attending the first trial session of the first instance at the Seoul Central District Court, where he was indicted on charges including violation of the Public Official Election Act. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] As Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, emerges as a flashpoint for the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), attention is focusing on the background of the COVID-19 outbreak originating from this church.

The environment conducive to virus transmission?such as congregants gathering in a confined space, singing hymns, and praying together?and the worst-case scenario where Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon, who was subject to COVID-19 self-quarantine, violated quarantine rules by preaching to the congregation, have combined to cause the eventual spread of COVID-19, experts point out.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on the 17th, among about 2,000 Sarang Jeil Church members who underwent COVID-19 testing, 319 were confirmed positive. Since the first confirmed case was reported on the 12th, the number of confirmed cases surged from 5 on the 13th to 19 on the 14th, 59 on the 15th, 249 on the 16th, and 319 by noon on the 17th. Additionally, according to data compiled by Seoul City as of 6 p.m. on the 17th, the number of confirmed cases related to Sarang Jeil Church increased by 52 more to 371.

This is the second-largest cluster infection case in South Korea, with Shincheonji Daegu Church having the highest number of confirmed cases (5,214), followed by Sarang Jeil Church, and then Itaewon clubs (277). The positivity rate is 16.1%. Pastor Jeon also tested positive for COVID-19 on the same day. It is reported that not only Pastor Jeon but also his wife and secretary were confirmed positive.

The reason for the spread of COVID-19 originating from Sarang Jeil Church is closely related to the characteristics of church worship. A Seoul city official explained to a media outlet, "Sarang Jeil Church could not accommodate all congregants indoors, so chairs were placed in the outdoor parking lot, and worship was held both indoors and outdoors. However, due to recent monsoon rains, congregants who were outdoors had to attend worship indoors, creating a dense and close-contact environment."

On the afternoon of the 15th, Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church is speaking at a rally condemning the government and ruling party held in front of Donghwa Duty Free Shop in Jongno-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

It is pointed out that the virus could have spread easily and rapidly through droplets during close-contact activities such as congregants singing hymns together or during so-called loud prayers (a time when everyone prays together loudly).

In fact, videos uploaded by the church on YouTube show some church officials not wearing masks or wearing them incorrectly as "mask on the chin" (incorrect mask-wearing method).

Also, during the Sunday service on the 9th, Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon conducted the service without wearing a mask in front of hundreds of attendees. Ahead of the Liberation Day rally, during the "Sarang Jeil Church Daily Prayer Meeting," believers gathered in the sanctuary and sang hymns for two hours.

In particular, Pastor Jeon has been criticized for appearing in the enclosed worship hall and preaching to congregants despite being subject to self-quarantine. The church, however, claims that Pastor Jeon did not violate self-quarantine rules and never encouraged attendance at gatherings.

However, a video from the rally on the 15th shows Pastor Jeon stating around 3:20 p.m., "I am perfectly fine and have no fever, but the district office came to our church and notified me that I was designated for quarantine." The health authorities also announced that on the same day, "Seongbuk District Office staff personally delivered the self-quarantine notice to the church."

This is a clear violation of self-quarantine rules. According to the self-quarantine guidelines, individuals subject to quarantine must △ refrain from going outside the quarantine location to prevent infection transmission △ live alone in a separate space △ contact the local health center first if going out for unavoidable medical visits △ avoid contact or conversation with family or cohabitants △ if unavoidable, maintain a distance of at least 2 meters while wearing masks without facing each other.

Summarizing the situation, the COVID-19 outbreak originating from Sarang Jeil Church is the result of the combination of the church worship environment conducive to rapid virus spread and the violation of self-quarantine rules by Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon and others. Furthermore, the aftermath of the recent Liberation Day rally has added to the ongoing emergence of additional confirmed cases linked to the church.

On the afternoon of January 4 last year, Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon, head pastor of Sarang Jeil Church, is speaking at the "People's Rally for the Resignation of the Moon Jae-in Government" in front of the Kyobo Building in Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Central Accident Investigation Headquarters (CAIH) filed charges against Pastor Jeon on the 16th for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. A CAIH official stated, "Pastor Jeon received a self-quarantine order from Seoul City at 2 p.m. on the 15th but attended the rally in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, around 3:10 p.m., violating the quarantine. He was also reported to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for obstructing epidemiological investigation by omitting his name from the visitor list submitted by the church to Seoul City."

Meanwhile, among the 4,066 church members and visitors identified so far, 25.7% remain unreachable, raising concerns that a second Shincheonji-like crisis may materialize. Considering the characteristics of COVID-19, including asymptomatic incubation periods, infectious disease experts expect more confirmed cases to emerge.

In fact, health authorities currently assess the situation in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province as more dangerous than the cluster infection outbreak in Daegu and Gyeongbuk in February and March.

In Daegu and Gyeongbuk, the spread was centered around Shincheonji and Cheongdo Daenam Hospital, with a large scale of transmission but focused on a single group. Also, many Shincheonji patients were in their 20s, resulting in a relatively low fatality rate.

However, the current COVID-19 infection pattern spreading mainly in the metropolitan area is occurring simultaneously in multiple locations such as cafes, restaurants, markets, and schools. The spread is also expanding from the metropolitan area to the entire country.

A cluster infection of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) occurred at Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, and on the afternoon of the 16th, the Seongbuk-gu Public Health Center screening clinic in Seoul was crowded.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to health authorities, the cluster infection originating from Sarang Jeil Church has already confirmed third-generation transmission. Among the places where confirmed cases were exposed are call centers, home care centers, nursing hospitals, daycare centers, and academies, indicating a high possibility of additional small-scale cluster infections. As of the afternoon of the 17th, 12 confirmed cases were reported outside the metropolitan area in Daegu, Chungnam, Gyeongbuk, Daejeon, and Gangwon provinces.

The government emphasized that the current COVID-19 spread situation is very serious and urged strict compliance with quarantine rules.

At a regular briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong on the morning of the 17th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) stated, "Seoul and Gyeonggi are in a critical situation where infections can occur anytime and anywhere."

Kim Kang-lip, the first chief coordinator of CDSCH, said, "Active cooperation with social distancing by residents of Seoul and Gyeonggi is crucial. For the next two weeks, please refrain from gatherings and outings and stay home as much as possible except for essential outings such as commuting." He also emphasized, "Those who go to work should not attend other appointments or gatherings after work and should return home immediately."

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