Jeon Gwang-hoon, "Corona is like a cold... Will persistently disobey government’s fraudulent quarantine" as 'In-person Worship' is Blocked

Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church is urging the Seoul Metropolitan Government to halt the church eviction enforcement and conduct a full review during a press conference held near Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 20th. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] As the fourth wave of COVID-19 continues, the government’s implementation of Level 4 social distancing measures in the Seoul metropolitan area has made 'in-person worship' impossible. In response, Sarang Jeil Church has called for the withdrawal of the "COVID martial law" and urged the government to stop the Level 4 social distancing measures.

On the 20th, Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church and lawyer Lee Myung-kyu, head of the National Special Prosecutors, held an emergency press conference in front of Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, stating, "the government’s Level 4 distancing guidelines and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s order banning worship and gatherings are acts that attempt to reign above the Constitution and the people's right to resist," and "the church will continue to disobey the clear constitutional violations that prohibit only religious freedom and freedom of assembly under the guise of fraudulent quarantine measures."

They stated in their position paper, "While department stores and performance venues are allowed to operate, the nonsensical Level 4 quarantine guidelines that completely prohibit the people's basic rights to worship and outdoor gatherings must be immediately stopped," and demanded, "Stop blaming the exhausted people and declare a lifestyle quarantine for COVID."

They further said, "The government and Seoul city are selectively banning fraudulent quarantine measures and the freedoms of religion and assembly as risks," and "They are using COVID, which is at the level of a common cold, to instill fear and impose martial law-like control over the people's basic rights."

Lee Myung-kyu, a lawyer representing the church, argued, "The Democratic Party claims to ban large-scale gatherings for the safety and lives of the people, but gatherings and religious meetings are fundamental rights of the people," and "The fastest way to protect the lives and safety of the people in Korea now is through civil disobedience and the exercise of the people's right to resist."

Meanwhile, Pastor Jeon said, "The sole purpose of the nationwide church worship ban is to capture Jeon Gwang-hoon," and added, "We will complete the revolution through the National Rally on August 15."

Earlier, on the 16th, the Seoul Administrative Court partially accepted a suspension request filed by seven churches against the Seoul mayor’s ban on in-person worship, ruling that in-person worship with up to 19 people could be allowed only for the churches that applied.

In response, the government decided to allow in-person worship at Level 4 social distancing with up to 10% of the total capacity, but no more than 19 people, considering the court’s ruling. However, churches with prior violations of quarantine rules, such as Sarang Jeil Church which forcibly held in-person worship last weekend, are excluded and thus cannot hold in-person worship.

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