The First Sunday of the 'Non-Face-to-Face Worship' Administrative Order... Tension at a Busan Church

Busan Police, Busan City, and Local Governments Begin On-Site Inspections of 1,800 Churches
Busan Christian Council Upholds 'On-Site Worship' in Compliance with Quarantine Guidelines

On the 23rd, the first Sunday since Busan City issued an administrative order banning in-person worship services, Busan Yeongnak Church switched to video worship.
[Image source=Busan Police Agency]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-woo] As the Busan Christian Council protests against the 'violation of religious freedom' and insists on holding in-person worship services, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency has launched on-site inspections in cooperation with Busan City and local governments targeting over 1,800 churches in the Busan area.

On the 23rd, the first Sunday after the government implemented social distancing Level 2, there was intense tension around churches in Busan where the administrative order for non-face-to-face worship was enforced, with conflicts between those insisting on holding in-person services and those prohibiting them.

Twenty-five police officers from the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency were deployed to large churches and church-dense areas such as Geumjeong-gu and Haeundae-gu.

Busan police confirmed some churches preparing for in-person worship and persuaded them on-site to conduct services in a non-face-to-face manner.

Many churches, including Busan Yeongnak Church and Yeongan Church, switched to online Sunday worship services.

The Busan Christian Council, a coalition of churches in the Busan area, expressed their intention to hold on-site worship services while adhering to the government's seven major quarantine guidelines, fueling conflicts over worship methods amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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