Pastor Who Forced In-Person Worship During Quarantine Restriction Fined 2 Million Won

At Yoido Full Gospel Church in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, worshippers wearing masks are attending a service. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] A pastor who held on-site worship services by gathering congregants during the period when in-person worship was prohibited due to COVID-19 has been fined.

On the 12th, according to the legal community, Han Kyung-hwan, Chief Judge of Criminal Division 2 at the Seoul Western District Court, sentenced Pastor Choi (66), who was tried for violating the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act, to a fine of 2 million won.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections, the Seoul Metropolitan Government issued an assembly restriction order in mid-August last year, allowing only non-face-to-face worship services for churches in Seoul. Pastor Choi, who is the head pastor of a church in Yongsan-gu, violated this order twice on August 22 and 29 of the same year.

Although Pastor Choi received a gathering ban order from the district office for two weeks starting September 1 last year, he ignored it again and held an in-person worship service with about 27 congregants on September 11, 2021. Pastor Choi was initially indicted by summary prosecution but filed for a formal trial in objection.

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