One Year After Shincheonji's First Confirmed Case... Cluster Infections in Religious Facilities Persist

Despite Authorities Strengthening Quarantine Measures... Cluster Infections Nationwide

On the 16th, when snow fell mainly in the central region, citizens are filling out questionnaires to get tested at the temporary COVID-19 screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] It will be exactly one year on the 18th since the first confirmed COVID-19 case emerged at the Shincheonji Daegu Church, considered the starting point of the first major domestic COVID-19 outbreak. Since then, health authorities have repeatedly strengthened quarantine measures for religious facilities, but cluster infections centered around religious facilities continue unabated. This year alone, major infection cases originating from religious facilities such as IM Mission and BTJ World Center have occurred in quick succession within just two months, hindering the stabilization of COVID-19.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 17th, as of midnight the previous day, a total of 19 confirmed COVID-19 cases related to the Islamic center in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, have been reported. In addition, 19 confirmed cases were identified related to two Islamic religious facilities: 15 at the Pyeongtaek Islamic prayer site and 4 at the Daejeon Islamic prayer meeting. Health authorities estimate that additional transmission occurred from the religious leader, the Imam, to congregants and staff. Risk factors for infection control were also identified, including the absence of a designated quarantine manager, insufficient indoor ventilation, small group meetings among congregants, and the use of lodging facilities within the premises.

Cluster infections centered around religious facilities have occurred multiple times before. In addition to Shincheonji-related cases (5,214 cumulative confirmed cases as of the previous day), major cluster outbreaks include ▲ Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu (1,173 cases) ▲ Uri Jeil Church in Yongin City (221 cases) ▲ Pioneer church meetings in the metropolitan area (119 cases) ▲ Religious facilities in Gangseo-gu (258 cases) ▲ BTJ World Center in Sangju, Gyeongbuk Province (808 cases). Recently, 419 cases related to unauthorized educational facilities of IM Mission and 145 cases related to a church in Seo-gu, Gwangju, were added. Regarding Yeongsaeng Church in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, 15 additional positive cases were confirmed the previous day, bringing the total to over 100.

The repeated infections stem from the nature of religious activities, where small group meetings among congregants are frequent and close contact occurs. Even if regular worship services are restricted, there are limitations in managing and supervising small group meetings where some congregants gather.

The government has been supplementing quarantine measures for religious facilities each time new infections are confirmed, but these efforts have been insufficient. Due to the various types of education, lodging, and meetings within religious facilities, filling the blind spots remains a challenge. At the end of last month, guidelines for quarantine rules covering all religious facilities, including unauthorized educational facilities, were announced following the spread of cluster infections originating from IM Mission, but a large-scale infection occurred again at Yeongsaeng Church in Bucheon just ten days later. Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters’ quarantine team, expressed difficulties at the time, saying, "We are continuously discussing with religious organizations and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism regarding religious facilities and inspecting quarantine measures on-site. We are strengthening inspections and considering various scenarios to prevent occurrences as much as possible, but infections still occur in areas we had not anticipated."

Professor Eom Jung-sik of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Gachon University Gil Medical Center said, "As epidemiological investigations have shown, cases in religious facilities involve higher contact intensity during individual small fellowship gatherings rather than regular worship services, so restricting only regular worship has limitations," adding, "The problem is that there is no other effective method besides religious leaders of individual facilities recognizing the importance of quarantine and making efforts."

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