The Barricades of South Korea Have Collapsed... Mines Everywhere Across Regions and Classes

No Safe Zone... Four Reasons Why Infections from Sarang Jeil Church Are Frightening
ⅤWidespread Confirmed Cases Nationwide Despite Testing Resistance
ⅤUnaware of Church Infections Since Last Month, Risk of Social Spread
ⅤBroad Spread to Relatively Safe Areas Like Broadcasters, Politics, and Military
ⅤSurge in Patients with Untraceable Infection Routes Due to Epidemiological Overload

[Asia Economy reporters Choi Dae-yeol and Jo Hyun-ui] The second wave crisis of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) originating from Sarang Jeil Church is striking every corner of our society indiscriminately across regions and social classes. The infection clusters are widespread, and due to uncooperative treatment efforts, it is an extremely critical situation where predicting additional transmission in unspecified spaces is difficult. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, there have been reports that it has spread even to broadcasters and political circles, which had no confirmed cases for over seven months, making it difficult to maintain barricades throughout society.

276 Domestic Cases Reported Nationwide in 14 Cities and Provinces
Additional n-th Wave Infections from Sarang Jeil Church: 53 Cases

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 20th, as of midnight, 276 new domestic confirmed cases were reported across 14 cities and provinces nationwide. Among the 17 metropolitan local governments, new cases were reported in all except Ulsan, Sejong, and Jeju. The cluster infection originating from Sarang Jeil Church has not subsided as infected individuals transmitted the virus through community activities before being quarantined. The number of confirmed cases related to this church reached 623 as of the previous day, including 35 patients outside the metropolitan area.

The problem remains that organized obstruction to breaking additional transmission chains continues. Among 3,793 individuals identified by authorities as requiring testing due to possible infection, 389 people (as of the 19th) have refused testing or are unreachable. In a statement released that day, the church claimed that "the act of forcibly demanding unlimited submission of lists, testing, and quarantine of citizens who are not contacts under quarantine authorities' guidelines constitutes abuse of power or illegal detention," clearly stating that the church will not cooperate with the authorities' quarantine measures.

On the 20th, as the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues, the alley leading to Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul is being controlled. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

On the 20th, as the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues, a notice advising church visitors to refrain from entering is posted at a restaurant near Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Since the end of last month, there have been concerns that infections spread through small gatherings within the church, and it is estimated that many individuals unknowingly engaged in community activities for about two weeks. Accordingly, the authorities do not rule out the possibility of widespread transmission. Epidemiological investigations revealed that confirmed cases related to this church have visited or worked at a total of 114 facilities and institutions, including workplaces and other churches. Among these, about 10 locations reported 53 patients unrelated to the church.

Park Neung-hoo, the first director of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said on the day, "The cluster infection at Sarang Jeil Church is spreading through confirmed patients' families, workplaces, and multi-use facilities they visited, increasing secondary and tertiary infection cases," and urged, "Public cooperation is crucial to prevent the large-scale cluster infection originating from the church from spreading nationwide as n-th wave infections."

Seven Months of COVID-19... Collapsed Barricades
13.7% of Cases with Unknown Infection Routes... Doubled in Ten Days

Even in the relatively safe broadcasting sector, confirmed cases have emerged, leading to a complete shutdown of broadcasting stations, and the ruling party's leadership candidate undergoing testing due to indirect contact during the party convention, indicating that the COVID-19 threat is spreading comprehensively. CBS has been substituting music broadcasts until the morning of the day and will decide on resumption based on the test results of isolated staff. KBS halted filming after an actor in a currently airing drama tested positive.

On the 20th, employees are arriving at the new Seoul City Hall building. After a confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported among city hall staff the previous day, Seoul City Hall closed the entire new building and conducted disinfection operations. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Nak-yeon and United Future Party lawmaker Choi Hyung-doo, who had indirect contact with confirmed patients, tested negative in tests conducted the previous day, but former lawmaker Cha Myung-jin, who attended the Gwanghwamun rally, tested positive. In a military unit in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, a recruit entering the training center tested positive in a pooled test. The recruit, a young man living in Seoul, reportedly attended a service at Yoido Full Gospel Church before enlistment.

As epidemiological investigations become overloaded, the number of patients with unidentified infection routes has sharply increased. Until early this month, the proportion of patients with unknown infection routes was about 6.6% (41 cases based on the previous two weeks), but recently it has more than doubled to 13.7% (220 cases). Unidentified infection routes mean it is difficult to determine where the patient was infected or the transmission links, significantly expanding the scope and subjects of epidemiological investigations. Especially, many patients presumed to have been infected through contact at the rally held in Gwanghwamun on the 15th have emerged, raising concerns that finding the infection source may be practically impossible.

Director Park urged, "Those who attended the Gwanghwamun rally or Sarang Jeil Church services, lectures, or meetings should get tested at screening clinics," and added, "Avoid unnecessary outings or gatherings, and even when using multi-use facilities like cafes, do not stay for long."

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