1016 Unscreened Individuals at BTJ Yeolbang Center, Possible List Manipulation... Growing Concerns Over Infection

BTJ Yeolbang Center: 756 Confirmed Cases, 1016 Untested
Some Contacted to 'Get Tested' Despite No Visit
Experts Advise Focused Response with Anonymous Testing Implementation

BTJ Yeolbang Center. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 continues to rise daily, centered around the BTJ Yeolbang Center (a religious training facility) in Sangju City, Gyeongbuk Province, raising concerns about further infections.

Among the visitors to the center, 1,016 people have not yet undergone diagnostic testing, and there are difficulties in securing the visitor list, so the number of related confirmed cases is expected to increase further.

Experts have suggested that measures such as introducing anonymous testing should be implemented.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) on the 16th, as of 6 p.m. on the 15th, the number of confirmed cases related to the Yeolbang Center was 756, an increase of 27 from the previous day. Among them, 241 are estimated to have visited the Yeolbang Center, and 515 are additional transmission cases across nine cities and provinces nationwide.

The total number of people subject to testing, whose names have been secured by local governments and quarantine authorities, is about 3,000, of which 1,016 (34.1%) have not yet been tested.

This cluster infection related to the Yeolbang Center is the third largest religious-related infection case, following the Shincheonji Church of Jesus (Shincheonji) outbreak centered in Daegu in February-March last year, and the Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, in August.

At the entrance of the 'BTJ Yeolbang Center' in Sangju-si, Gyeongbuk, a facility closure order from Sangju-si is posted.
Photo by Yonhap News

The problem is that a significant number of visitors to the Yeolbang Center still have not been tested or are avoiding testing, which could lead to more additional infections. On the 16th, in Cheongju City, Chungbuk Province, three citizens who visited the Yeolbang Center were reported to the police for violating an administrative order to undergo mandatory testing.

Regarding this, Lim Suk-young, the CDCH Situation General Manager, said at the regular COVID-19 briefing on the same day, "There are still many untested individuals among the 756 confirmed cases related to the BTJ Yeolbang Center," and urged, "Visitors to the Yeolbang Center from November 27 to December 27 last year should promptly get tested."

There is also a possibility that the visitor list for the Yeolbang Center was falsified. On the 14th, Sangju City pointed out that multiple entries in the handwritten visitor list submitted by the Yeolbang Center appeared to be in the same handwriting, suggesting the list might be fabricated.

In fact, some citizens who had never visited the Yeolbang Center received calls asking them to come for testing. An anonymous citizen told CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" on the 15th, "On the evening of the 13th, I received a text urging me to comply with testing, and on the 14th, the local health office called to say I was on the BTJ Yeolbang Center visitor list," adding, "However, I have not set foot in Gyeongsang Province for a year. It was very absurd."

The government announced that it will take strong measures, including claiming compensation, if there is non-cooperation with quarantine efforts related to this cluster infection.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held at the Government Sejong Complex on the 14th, "Many citizens are anxious as the cluster infection originating from the BTJ Yeolbang Center spreads nationwide," and emphasized, "The government will neither overlook nor tolerate irrational acts that blatantly threaten the lives and safety of the people, such as obstructing epidemiological investigations or refusing diagnostic tests."

He continued, "Local governments should promptly identify those refusing testing with police cooperation, and strictly deal with any illegal acts confirmed during the process," and instructed, "Please hold them fully accountable, including claiming compensation for public health damages caused by illegal acts."

Experts stressed the urgency of preparing measures such as introducing anonymous testing. Professor Kim Woo-joo of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital said, "From a quarantine perspective, we need to ensure that people who visited the BTJ Yeolbang Center can get tested quickly," and suggested, "Considering the reluctance to get tested, measures such as anonymous testing should be considered." He also pointed out, "If a frame is created against a certain group and excessive criticism is applied, people may be even more reluctant to get tested and may hide."

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