"Moon Jae-in Government Quarantine... Public Disobedience" Jeon Kwang-hoon Forces In-Person Worship at Sarang Jeil Church

Dispute with Seoul Officials Visiting Worship Site
In-Person Worship Held Despite Gathering Ban Last Year
Over 670 Cumulative Infections from Cluster Outbreak
Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon's Side: "Stop Religious Persecution and Worship Interference"

Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul clashed with the Seoul Metropolitan Government after forcibly holding an in-person worship service in violation of the current metropolitan area quarantine guidelines. Sarang Jeil Church, where Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon serves as the senior pastor, was previously reported last year for ignoring Seoul's assembly ban order and holding on-site worship services.

On the 18th, Sarang Jeil Church conducted an in-person worship service. About 150 congregants gathered that day, checked their infection status using COVID-19 self-diagnostic kits, then entered the sanctuary after filling out visitor logs and undergoing body disinfection.

To prevent the spread of the fourth wave of COVID-19, the government raised social distancing in the metropolitan area to Level 4 starting from the 12th. Under Level 4, in-person gatherings at religious facilities are prohibited. Although the 18th was the first weekend after the Level 4 upgrade in the metropolitan area, Sarang Jeil Church ignored the quarantine guidelines and proceeded with the on-site worship service.

There was also a confrontation between the Seoul city officials and the church that day. After confirming the in-person worship at Sarang Jeil Church, Seoul planned to file charges against church officials for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. However, the church’s legal team blocked city officials who came to inspect the sanctuary, leading to a scuffle. Loud exchanges occurred between the officials attempting to enter and the lawyers. Ultimately, Seoul officials reportedly returned without being able to inspect the worship site.

Disinfection is being carried out near Sarang Jeil Church last year. / Photo by Yonhap News

Pastor Jeon and Sarang Jeil Church issued a statement that day, declaring, "The Moon Jae-in administration’s fraudulent and people-erasing quarantine measures are not to be followed but must be overthrown through a civil disobedience movement as the worst deep-rooted evil."

They argued, "We cannot accept the prohibition of weekly worship services while subways, department stores, and large concerts are allowed," and insisted, "South Korea should also transition to living quarantine measures like other countries."

They also claimed there was no problem with quarantine because they confirmed COVID-19 infection status independently using self-diagnostic kits. They emphasized, "We will conduct pre-testing with self-kits and proceed with worship. Since worship is conducted under scientific and realistic conditions, we warn against religious oppression and interference with worship."

This is not the first time Sarang Jeil Church has violated government and local government quarantine guidelines to forcibly hold in-person worship. The church was reported last April for violating Seoul’s assembly ban order by holding on-site worship, and related trials are currently underway.

Former Pastor Jeon, who tested positive for COVID-19, is seen leaving the Sarang Jeil Church parsonage in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of August 17 last year and boarding a Seongbuk Public Health Center vehicle. / Photo by Yonhap News

In August last year, a COVID-19 cluster infection occurred among congregants who attended worship, resulting in a two-week closure of the facility. The cluster infection originating from Sarang Jeil Church led to so-called 'n-th generation infections' including second and third waves, with the cumulative number of confirmed cases reaching the 670s. During this process, Pastor Jeon also tested positive and was transferred to Seoul Medical Center, a dedicated COVID-19 hospital, where he received inpatient treatment.

At that time, Sarang Jeil Church was also suspected of not cooperating properly with Seoul’s epidemiological investigation. On August 19 last year, Seoul’s Culture Headquarters Director Yoo Yeon-sik stated at a COVID-19 emergency briefing that they discovered a new list of 484 church members not submitted by the church, increasing the number of people to be tested. He pointed out, "We believe the church submitted incomplete and false data. This is considered a case of non-cooperation with quarantine."

Meanwhile, Seoul plans to review related measures such as suspension of operations and fines if it confirms in-person worship services at Sarang Jeil Church through worship videos uploaded on YouTube in the future.

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