Mass Infections Surge Due to Churches Violating Quarantine Rules... Mayor Park Namchun Says "We Will File Charges"

Two Churches in Seo-gu and Bupyeong-gu Violate Quarantine Rules by Traveling and Staying Overnight at Church
Confirmed Case in Gyeyang-gu Prayer Group Obstructs Epidemiological Investigation with False Statements

A COVID-19 cluster occurred at a church in Seo-gu, Incheon
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Amid a recent surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases centered around churches in Incheon, the city of Incheon has decided to file complaints and seek compensation claims against churches and prayer meetings that violated quarantine guidelines and caused cluster infections.

Mayor Park Namchun stated at the Regional Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held on the 2nd, "Due to the wrongful actions of some churches and certain believers, not only the religious community but also the safety of citizens is being seriously threatened repeatedly."

Mayor Park pointed out, "Some churches violated quarantine guidelines and forcibly held in-person worship services, and confirmed cases suspected to be spreaders concealed their movement paths," adding, "This caused confusion and delays in prompt quarantine measures, and the number of related confirmed cases, including church members and contacts, has exceeded 100."

He emphasized, "We can no longer overlook situations that threaten citizens' safety and nullify the efforts of the majority of churches," and added, "We will actively consider filing complaints and seeking compensation claims against confirmed cases that caused confusion in quarantine through false statements, as well as two churches and prayer small groups that caused cluster infections."

According to the city, confirmed cases have occurred as follows: 38 at Joonim's Church in Seo-gu, 36 at Galilee Presbyterian Church in Bupyeong-gu, 19 at Yeolmaemneun Church in Namdong-gu, and 12 at a prayer meeting in Gyeyang-gu.

It was also reported that 47.4% of confirmed cases in Incheon since the 16th of last month were centered around churches.

The churches that Mayor Park plans to file complaints against are Galilee Presbyterian Church, whose members violated quarantine rules and traveled, and Joonim's Church, where members stayed overnight at the church and held all-night worship services.

The prayer small group in Gyeyang-gu also failed to cooperate with quarantine authorities, as A (59, female), confirmed positive on the 25th of last month, concealed the fact that the meeting took place during the initial epidemiological investigation and did not disclose it.

A is the wife of the pastor of Soonbokum Daejeon Woori Church in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, where a recent cluster infection occurred. However, A was found to have hidden even her marital status by claiming she "lives alone."

The city will decide whether to file complaints against Yeolmaemneun Church in Namdong-gu after a more thorough investigation.

Additionally, Mayor Park ordered a ban on gatherings for 21 churches that violated quarantine guidelines twice in a row and held in-person worship services, and stated that if they violate the order again, they will be subject to complaints.

Following the issuance of the 'Social Distancing Level 2' order, which completely bans in-person worship, the city conducted joint inspections with military and district offices on the 23rd and 30th, identifying 401 churches. Among them, 20 churches (2 in Yeonsu, 13 in Ganghwa, and 5 in Ongjin) that violated quarantine guidelines twice were issued gathering ban orders.

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