COVID-19 Resurgence... Government Supports Data and Environment for 'Online Religious Activities'

[Asia Economy Reporter Seolgina Jo] The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 21st that they will temporarily resume support for online religious activities, which was conducted in April and May this year, due to multiple cases of COVID-19 cluster infections recently occurring mainly in religious facilities in the metropolitan area.

Accordingly, for small and medium-sized religious organizations with fewer than 200 members that have difficulty conducting online religious activities, technical guidance on smartphone-based video filming and broadcasting will be provided, along with support for the necessary data and communication environment.

Technically, manuals will be created and distributed to facilitate easy use of internet live video platforms such as KakaoTV and Naver Band Live. A dedicated call center will be operated, and on-site support will be provided as needed after consultation. Additionally, with the cooperation of telecommunications companies, each religious organization will be provided with a mobile communication line for video broadcasting, offering 50GB of monthly data sufficient for video transmission for two months until the end of October to ensure smooth online religious activities.

Furthermore, videos will be transmitted via LTE and Wi-Fi based on smartphones, and if there is a request for 5G indoor (in-building) network construction, support and construction will be focused on locations agreed upon with building owners.

Considering the urgency of situations such as the prohibition of in-person worship services at churches, the plan is to implement this support for two months starting this weekend so that religious organizations can utilize it promptly. Small and medium-sized religious organizations facing difficulties with online religious activities can download the manual from the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association (KTOA) website, and detailed guidance is available by calling ☎1433-1900 without an area code.

During the first support phase (April 8 to May 29), a total of 787 cases were supported, including 536 cases of online broadcasting guidance and support, and 216 cases of data support and communication network quality improvement, alleviating difficulties faced by small and medium-sized religious organizations due to social distancing.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated, "Through collaboration, we will actively support non-face-to-face religious activities to contribute to social distancing, and furthermore, we will continue efforts to establish non-face-to-face services such as video conferencing and remote education in our society as a result of COVID-19."

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