Jungnang-gu's Geumran Church Receives Applause for Active Cooperation in COVID-19 Prevention Efforts

Geumran Church Supports COVID-19 Prevention with Self-Disinfection and Donation of Sanitation Supplies... Actively Participates in 'Our Neighborhood Drive-in Theater' by Providing Outdoor Parking for Residents Weary from COVID-19... Holds Funeral for Late Senior Pastor Kim Hong-do on the 2nd as Family-Only Ceremony and Online Memorial to Prevent Virus Spread in the Community

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] As the spread of COVID-19 intensifies due to a cluster infection originating from a specific religious facility in Seoul, concerns about religious facilities are growing.

Despite a decrease in the number of confirmed cases, sporadic cluster infections and secondary infections continue to cause anxiety. In this context, the exemplary cooperation of churches in Jungnang-gu to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is drawing attention.

Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) announced that 177 churches, including Geumran Church, a large church with 100,000 registered members, are actively participating in quarantine activities to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

On the 19th of last month, Geumran Church located in Mangwoo-dong experienced confirmed COVID-19 cases, but through active cooperation with the district office, they blocked the spread of infection within the community and set an example in alleviating residents' concerns.

At the on-site screening clinic installed inside the church, 173 people underwent rapid mass testing, and with accurate information provision and thorough quarantine measures, no further confirmed cases occurred.

Additionally, on the 27th of last month, Senior Pastor Kim Jeong-min of Geumran Church visited the Jungnang-gu Public Health Center and donated 20 million won to support the medical staff working hard on COVID-19 related tasks.

Besides the donation, Geumran Church also contributed items necessary for quarantine sites, such as portable air conditioners and medical masks, joining efforts to block the infection.

Furthermore, they participate in psychological quarantine for residents exhausted by COVID-19. On the 17th and 19th of this month, from 8 p.m., the church’s outdoor parking lot will be provided free of charge as the venue for the ‘Our Neighborhood Drive-in Theater,’ helping residents safely enjoy cultural programs.

In particular, there is another meaningful practice by Geumran Church to prevent virus spread in the region. Following the passing of Elder Pastor Kim Hong-do on the 2nd, although church members grieving the loss needed time to mourn together with a church funeral, they decided on a small family funeral to comply with strengthened social distancing measures.

The church separately established an online memorial hall on its website to minimize face-to-face contact and announced that they will not accept wreaths or condolence money.

Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “I sincerely thank the members and officials of Geumran Church for their difficult decisions and actions in actively cooperating with quarantine efforts and joining forces to prevent the spread of COVID-19 for the safety of residents.” He added, “Jungnang-gu residents will also cooperate to definitely stop the spread of COVID-19.”

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