High-Risk Jeon Gwang-hoon Visits Hospital Smiling... Has His Health Deteriorated?

Jeon Gwang-hoon, the senior pastor of Sarang Jeil Church, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), is seen leaving the Sarang Jeil Church parsonage in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 17th and boarding a Seongbuk Public Health Center vehicle. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Reports have emerged that the health condition of Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon, the senior pastor of Sarang Jeil Church, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 and transferred to Seoul Medical Center, has worsened. Pastor Jeon is classified as a 'high-risk group' among COVID-19 patients, meaning he has a possibility of deteriorating to severe or critical condition.

Earlier, after testing positive for COVID-19 on the 17th, Pastor Jeon was transported by ambulance from the church residence next to Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, to Seoul Medical Center, a dedicated COVID-19 hospital in Jungnang-gu. At that time, he drew public outrage by wearing a so-called 'mask under the chin' (mask only covering the chin, not the nose) while boarding the ambulance and smiling while using his mobile phone.

However, just one day after being transferred to the medical center, on the 18th, claims surfaced that Pastor Jeon's health had deteriorated. He is currently hospitalized and receiving treatment at Seoul Medical Center.

According to a report by 'YTN' on the same day, a representative of the Christian Council of Korea (CCK), of which Pastor Jeon is the chairman, responded to reporters' questions about whether Pastor Jeon's health had worsened by saying, "It's somewhat like that," adding, "He has underlying conditions he usually suffers from."

In particular, concerns have been raised that Pastor Jeon could be at greater risk because he belongs to the 'high-risk group' of COVID-19 patients who may worsen to severe or critical conditions.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, COVID-19 patients who meet one or more of the following special conditions are classified as high-risk: △ aged 65 or older △ chronic underlying diseases △ smoking, dialysis, severe obesity, etc. Pastor Jeon, who is 65 years old, is classified as high-risk due to his age and is receiving treatment at Seoul Medical Center, where the entire inpatient ward operates as a dedicated COVID-19 treatment facility.

Former Pastor Jeon claimed on the 16th that his health condition is normal on the YouTube channel 'Neoara TV'. / Photo by YouTube broadcast capture

Meanwhile, before being diagnosed with COVID-19, Pastor Jeon claimed that he had 'no symptoms' and insisted that his health was normal.

On the 15th, during the Liberation Day rally held in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, he stood on the podium and said, "I don't even have a fever," adding, "I have no symptoms of illness at all."

During an online worship service conducted on his YouTube channel on the 16th, a day before his positive diagnosis, he again insisted he was normal, saying, "(I) have never been infected (with COVID-19) and have checked my temperature for two weeks, and it was 36 degrees."

At that worship service, Pastor Jeon even took out a thermometer to measure his temperature himself and said, "I am normal, normal."

He also claimed, "They are trying to prevent me from speaking at the (Gwanghwamun) rally," and "They are trying to control me by various means. I have been in self-quarantine for two weeks."

Meanwhile, according to the quarantine authorities on the 18th, the cumulative number of COVID-19 confirmed cases nationwide related to Sarang Jeil Church reached 438 as of that day, with 123 new cases confirmed compared to the previous day.

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