"‘3.1 Jeol’ Must Have 10 Million Participants" Jeon Gwang-hoon Announces Large-Scale Prayer Meeting in Seoul

"Must Participate Even If Bought with Money," Emphasized to Shincheonji Followers
Concerns Over 'Trick Gatherings' Such as Election Campaign Reporting and Split Rallies

On the 27th, Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church conducted a special interview uploaded on the YouTube channel 'NeoAra TV' / Photo by NeoAra TV YouTube capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon, head pastor of Sarang Jeil Church, has announced plans to hold a '10 million people national rally' at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on March 1. In a special interview uploaded on February 27 to the YouTube channel 'Neoara TV,' Pastor Jeon urged his followers, saying, "On Tuesday (March 1), 10 million people must gather no matter what."

On the same day, Pastor Jeon emphasized, "From this moment, each and every one of you (believers) must contact every single person (to attend)," adding, "If it doesn't work, you should even bribe them with money." The audience listening to Pastor Jeon responded with "Amen."

He continued, "Even the leftists do such things (bribing people with money)," claiming, "When the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held rallies, they bought people with money to gather them."

Meanwhile, he also strongly criticized the presidential candidates from both ruling and opposition parties. He said, "Whether it's candidate Lee Jae-myung or Yoon Seok-youl, these people don't pray, so they don't know," emphasizing, "The next president should be someone who returns the freedoms taken away from the people and raises the economic growth rate to 7% annually."

Pastor Jeon's side has recently promoted the March 1 10 million prayer meeting several times through YouTube and other platforms. During the broadcast on the 27th, promotional messages urging participation in the Gwanghwamun prayer meeting also appeared.

The former pastor's side has claimed that they will hold a "10 Million Prayer Meeting" on March 1st in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, among other locations. / Photo by NeolA TV YouTube capture

The message reads, "You cannot entrust the steering wheel to a madman," quoting Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor, along with an explanation stating, "On March 1, 2022, from 12 PM, a prayer meeting will be held at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Lee Seung-man Square and Cheonggye Square."

Since February 21, Pastor Jeon has visited various regions such as Gwangju and Daejeon to hold so-called 'March 1 preliminary rallies,' urging participation in gatherings condemning the Moon Jae-in administration.

Some express concerns that the prayer meeting organized by Pastor Jeon's side might circumvent quarantine guidelines. Under current quarantine rules, gatherings are limited to a maximum of 299 people who have completed vaccination.

The problem arises if 'trick gatherings' are held to evade the attendance limit. For example, general gatherings are permitted only up to 299 people, but if reported as election campaigning, there is no separate limit on the number of attendees.

On the 21st at Cheonggye Plaza, Jin Kyung-ho, the chairman (center), is shouting slogans at the 2022 National Courier Workers' Rally hosted by the National Courier Workers' Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. / Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, explained during a briefing on the 16th, "Large-scale events with more than 50 people are to be held mainly among vaccinated individuals and those who have tested negative among the unvaccinated," adding, "Since the size of gatherings during mobile campaigning cannot be specified, this regulation does not apply."

In this context, on the 21st, the Korean Delivery Workers' Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions also managed to hold a rally of about 1,500 people (estimated 2,000 by organizers) at Cheonggye Square in Jung-gu, Seoul, by reporting it as election campaigning.

There is also concern about evading quarantine guidelines through so-called 'split gatherings.' Instead of thousands gathering at once, groups of 10 to 20 people gather separately.

Pastor Jeon's side had filed for a 'split gathering' report while preparing the March 1 rally last year, but it was canceled after Seoul city banned gatherings of more than 10 people.

Former Pastor Jeon, who tested positive for COVID-19, is seen leaving his residence in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of August 17, 2020, and moving to board a Seongbuk Health Center vehicle. / Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, Pastor Jeon has clashed with the government and local authorities by holding in-person worship services and attending large prayer meetings despite quarantine guidelines since the COVID-19 outbreak.

In August 2020, a COVID-19 cluster infection occurred among Sarang Jeil Church members who attended in-person worship, leading to a two-week closure of the facility. The cluster infection originating from Sarang Jeil Church led to secondary and tertiary infections, resulting in a cumulative confirmed case count in the 670s. During this process, Pastor Jeon also tested positive for COVID-19 and was transferred to Seoul Medical Center, a dedicated hospital, where he received inpatient treatment.

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