Rapid Spread of COVID-19 from Churches... President Moon Holds Meeting with Protestant Leaders

November 27th, 11 AM Blue House Invitation Meeting
"Churches Should Set an Example in Preventing Spread" Message

President Moon Jae-in is presiding over a video Cabinet meeting at the Yeoumin Hall of the Blue House on the morning of the 25th.
Transparent partitions were installed on the seats in the meeting room that day, and Cabinet members, including Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, attended the meeting via video from the Government Complex Seoul.

President Moon Jae-in announced on the 26th that he will hold a meeting with Protestant leaders at the Blue House at 11 a.m. on the 27th.

At this meeting, President Moon is expected to request the cooperation of the Protestant community in preventing the spread of infectious diseases in light of the recent resurgence of COVID-19.

The Blue House explained that President Moon plans to urge Protestant leaders to "set an example in preventing the spread of COVID-19 within churches."

While President Moon expressed his intention to respond firmly to the deviant actions of some churches, including Sarang Jeil Church, he is expected to repeatedly emphasize that overcoming COVID-19 ultimately requires the government and religious communities to unite their efforts.

This will be the second time since his inauguration that President Moon has invited Protestant leaders for a meeting, following the first on July 3 last year.

The meeting will be attended by Kim Tae-young, Ryu Jeong-ho, and Moon Soo-seok, co-representatives of the Korea Christian Federation, as well as Lee Hong-jung, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in Korea.

On the 20th, President Moon also invited Catholic leaders, including Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung, to the Blue House for a luncheon.

Meanwhile, at a senior secretaries and aides meeting held on the 24th, President Moon expressed concern over the rapid resurgence of COVID-19 originating from churches.

He described the situation as "a far more serious emergency than during the Shincheonji outbreak," adding, "This is a critical time when even a slight lapse in vigilance could lead to a sudden surge in infections anywhere and anytime."

He specifically mentioned that "no religious freedom, freedom of assembly, or freedom of expression can be asserted at the expense of harming the public," referring to the obstruction of quarantine efforts caused by large-scale gatherings led by some churches.

On the 21st, President Moon also criticized such obstruction of quarantine measures, stating, "I hope the public authority will demonstrate that it is alive and active."

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