Daegu City Intensifies Crackdown on Christmas 'In-Person Worship'... Participants Fined

Only Non-Face-to-Face Worship Allowed for Up to 20 People... Gathering Ban and Legal Action for Violating Churches

On the 24th, members of Incheon Happy Church dressed as Santa Claus are riding scooters near the church to deliver snacks and masks to neighbors.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] Daegu City announced on the 24th that it will conduct a special inspection of 'in-person church services' on Christmas Eve.

This inspection is carried out under the administrative order in line with the government's special measures to strengthen quarantine during the year-end and New Year holidays. The government previously announced that from 0:00 on the 24th until midnight on January 3rd next year, religious facilities are only allowed to hold non-face-to-face services with up to 20 people. In other words, all in-person services are prohibited.

Churches that forcibly hold prohibited in-person services will face a ban on gatherings for the first violation according to the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, and will be reported for the second violation. Additionally, participating worshippers will be fined 100,000 KRW based on the same law.

In the Daegu area, amid ongoing chain infections related to Yeongsin Church, as of the 24th, 23 religious facilities have been banned from gatherings. Among these, 4 facilities have also been ordered to close.

Park Hee-jun, Director of the Daegu City Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, said, "We thank most religious facility officials who have diligently followed quarantine rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the local community," and appealed, "Please comply with the quarantine guidelines according to the government's special measures to strengthen quarantine during the year-end and New Year holidays so that our efforts will not be in vain."

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