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97-711: Period: March 30 to April 9 (KINTEX Hall 1 to 5) Kia, Hyundai, Genesis and Ssangyong (KG Mobility) participated in this show and expanded to UAM and mobility companies. The 13th SEOUL MOBILITY SHOW was initially scheduled to run from April 1 to April 11, but in October 2020 it was changed July 1 to July 11 and postponed again from November 25 to December 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea . Only KINTEX Halls 6 to 10 were used in this show. This show changed its name from Seoul Motor Show to Seoul Mobility Show. Due to

194-474: A "White Paper" claiming that, although it did make "mistakes" in its management of the crisis, Shincheonji had also been discriminated because of its status as an unpopular group in South Korea. On 17 March, around 79 church devotees were infected with the virus after attending the River of Grace Community Church . The infections were claimed to have been caused by spraying salt-water into followers' mouths, under

291-601: A church-wide announcement of Patient 31's confirmation and closed down its churches and affiliated buildings. On February 20, 2020, Shincheonji's Daegu branch submitted a list of its members to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to aid with contract-tracing. By February 20, 2020, 53 new cases were Shincheonji attendees or their families, reaching over 300 by February 23, over half of all cases in South Korea in February. The subsequent resurgences of

388-448: A fourth case was reported as a 55-year-old South Korean man who returned from Wuhan on 20 January. He first experienced flu symptoms on 21 January and developed further complications four days later, eventually turning himself in. Both cases were tallied into formal records on 27 January. On 1 February, an update on the first four patients was received. It indicated that the first three were showing weaker symptoms and recovering well while

485-475: A government provided facility. Costs for the stay at the facility are the responsibility of the individual and total 100,000 won (US$ 81) per day. A few days later, a Taiwanese woman was deported on 5 April for refusing to stay in a quarantine facility as she initially agreed and then later disagreed with paying for the cost of staying at the government designated facility, reportedly costing around 100,000 won per day. A total of 45 people are being investigated by

582-558: A member of the Shincheonji religious organisation. The patient continued to go to gatherings of Shincheonji days after showing symptoms, which are typically held with people in very close proximity and include physical contact of the members. Many of the patient's close contacts would turn out to be infected, triggering a drastic escalation of the South Korean spread of confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection. On 19 February,

679-642: A new centre of infections. The pastor has been accused of obstructing contact tracing and violating rules regarding self-isolation. Thousands of people attended protests in central Seoul on 15 August, raising new fears for infections. Reverend Jeon has accused the government of "pour(ing) the virus on the church." He appeared at the anti-government rallies on 15 August, which were attended by over 10,000 people. Authorities ordered 12 high-risk business categories including nightclubs, karaoke bars and buffet restaurants, but also museums, to cease operations in Seoul, Incheon and

776-480: A part of an "unlawful society." They face up to 3 years in jail if convicted. In 2020, China banned Shincheonji church. On April 4, 2020, a 39-year-old man threw a rock at the Ulsan branch church, breaking a glass window at the front entrance of the church building. His stated motivation was his thought that COVID-19 spread because of Shincheonji members. On August 26, 2020, he was found guilty of property damage and

873-620: A possible fourth wave. Also additional 250,000 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived the country. By 22 April 2021, the country has 118,243 confirmed cases in total, with 1,812 deaths. On 19 July 2021, it is reported that 247 out of 301 crew members of the 34th contingent of the Cheonghae Unit on the Munmu the Great was tested positive for the covid-19 . Two Korean Air Force KC-330 departed with 200 replacement members to transport

970-544: A refusal to provide information or a refusal to cooperate. Chairman Lee's counsel argued that the request for congregants’ citizen registration numbers had nothing to do with epidemiological investigation. In the initial discussion between representatives of Shincheonji and the Blue House , the Blue House official in charge of the case was made aware of Shincheonji's concerns for congregants’ safety and privacy, and

1067-584: A restaurant in Jeonju , Korea. In a five-minute window, one infected individual was reported to have infected two other individuals sitting at 6.5 m (21 ft) and 4.8 m (16 ft) away. An air conditioner in the restaurant was measured to have a maximum airflow of 1 m/s (3.3 ft/s) and 1.2 m/s (3.9 ft/s) between the individuals. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency opened an investigation using CCTV footage and cell phone location data. Persistent local groups of infections in

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1164-420: A shift toward endemic living on 18 March. It lifted its vaccine mandate and quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated travelers on 1 April. The number of new daily reported cases peaked at 621,317 on 16 March 2022, and the number of daily deaths peaked at 432 on 29 March 2022. During the first four weeks, South Korea controlled the potential spread of COVID-19 by using high-tech resources like tracking

1261-559: A sudden spike in infections linked to hospitals, nursing homes, churches, prisons, and family gatherings during the holidays. On 27 December, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency confirmed that a new strain of COVID entered the country through a family of three that travelled from the UK to South Korea. On 10 February 2021, South Korea granted its first approval of a COVID-19 vaccine to Oxford–AstraZeneca , allowing

1358-414: A total of 1,240 news reports on Shincheonji. They analyzed this heavy media presence as resulting from: 1. Shincheonji actively creating its own media outlets, 2. Shincheonji members working within media companies and influencing coverage, and 3. purchasing articles and advertisements to use as promotional tools. At the 10th anniversary Peace Summit on September 18, organizers claimed 100,000 attendees, but

1455-510: A violation of privacy (Information and Communications Network Act). Since privacy violation laws do not include family exceptions, even family members can face criminal charges for unauthorized access to someone’s phone. Shincheonji's privacy violations don't end there. Detailed information about prospective recruits—such as their names, ages, social security numbers, contact information, addresses, family details, relatives, friends, and personality traits—is also shared and managed in group chats. This

1552-464: Is another example of illegal activities involving personal data breaches. In 2020, Kim Nam-hee publicly revealed her extramarital affair with Shincheonji leader Lee Man-hee, releasing photos from their wedding, moments of her caring for him in the hospital, images at her parents' gravesite, couple rings, and letters. She was known within Shincheonji as the "Mother of All Nations." The relationship

1649-642: Is observed on January 14th, as recorded in the Old Testament. The origin of Passover lies in the time of Moses when God judged Egypt with ten plagues through Moses and delivered the Israelites, who were enslaved in Egypt, through the blood and flesh of a lamb. This event is commemorated as Passover (Exodus 12:1-14, Leviticus 23:5). However, the Passover observed by Shincheonji today is not a commemoration of

1746-588: Is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ( SARS-CoV-2 ). The first case in South Korea was announced on 20 January 2020. The number of confirmed cases increased on 19 February by 20, and on 20 February by 58 or 70, giving a total of 346 confirmed cases on 21 February 2020, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), with

1843-544: Is said to have started around 2006, and Kim even played a key role in a performance symbolizing the "Wedding Banquet of Revelation 19" during the final event of the 6th World Peace Restoration of Light Heavenly Culture Arts Festival in 2012. She left the group in 2017. In 2024, a former lecturer and pastor in Shincheonji, known as Ms. Gong (female, in her 50s), who joined the church in 1992 and left after being excommunicated in December 2022, has publicly exposed her affair with

1940-579: Is the messenger sent by Jesus Christ , and believe him to be uniquely able to interpret the Book of Revelation . The group believes that in the times of the fulfillment of the New Testament prophecies, 144,000 adherents and a great multitude in white that no one can count, which comes out of the great tribulation, will enjoy salvation and eternal life as promised in the book of Revelation(Revelation 7). However, as senior leaders and executives within

2037-532: Is the pastor promised in the New Testament, and that the Book of Revelation is written in secret metaphors (parables), which only Lee is capable of deciphering. Before founding his own religious movement, Lee was a member of a controversial group called the Olive Tree , a new religious movement which spawned the first countercult movement in post-war Korea, although this connection is not present in Shincheonji's biography of Lee. Shincheonji teaches that it

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2134-532: Is the path to life (Revelation 17:14, Revelation 18:4, Revelation 16:12). The origin of the Feast of Tabernacles is found in God's command to Moses that the Israelites should dwell in booths to remember their journey out of Egypt (Leviticus 23:33-44). In Moses' time, the Israelites who came out of Egypt lived in physical booths made of grass. Today, however, people are metaphorically referred to as grass (1 Peter 1:24), and

2231-495: Is the true faith with its members receiving salvation at the time of final judgment. Everyone not in the group will be denied forgiveness and destroyed. In 2020, the group became the center of intense scrutiny during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea . The outbreak of COVID-19 cases in Korea was initially centered in the city of Daegu after a 61-year-old Shincheonji member known as Patient 31 infected other church members causing

2328-450: Is urging students in study cafes, cram schools, and internet cafes to increase control measures, a result of the increase of the level. Since December, the rates have increased, as Korea faces the third wave of COVID-19 infections. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said there were 1,132 new coronavirus cases on 25 December, not too far off the highest record of 1,241 logged on Christmas Eve. South Korea has been struggling with

2425-463: The Government of South Korea investigating the COVID-19 pandemic officially declared to the press that they obtained an exact list of 317,320 registered Shincheonji members. As of early August 2024, according to Shincheonji, 12,979 MOUs have been signed across 84 countries, with 705 accumulated domestically. Additionally, 1,352 churches in 41 countries have replaced their signs with those of

2522-834: The Liberty Korea Party . Until 2017, the Liberty Korea Party was named "Saenuri Party." On November 6, 2020, the prosecutor's office ruled that there was no evidence to support this accusation and that there was no connection between Lee and the creation of the Saenuri Party. The members of Shincheonji have been accused of actively infiltrating other churches to convert other churches' members. Shincheonji has been utilizing "fortune-telling" and "tarot reading" as methods of evangelism. They approach young people and professionals through disguised club activities, job placements, and psychological assessments. For

2619-529: The 301 entire crew members back to South Korea. After returning to South Korea, it was revealed that 270 crew members tested positive. On 24 January 2022, as the Omicron variant spreads, South Korea's daily new coronavirus infections reached 8,571, exceeding the previous high and fueling worries of another wave when tens of millions travel across the country for the upcoming Lunar New Year . Shincheonji Church of Jesus Shincheonji Church of Jesus,

2716-435: The 93-year-old Shincheonji leader, Lee Man-hee, via YouTube. She claimed that their inappropriate relationship lasted for about seven years, from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, during her 30 years in the church. According to her, she was not the only one, as other female followers were also involved with the cult leader. Shincheonji is facing controversy for allegedly threatening and harming former members who, after leaving

2813-560: The Anyang Branch of the Suwon District Court dismissed the claim brought by Pastor Baek's family, ruling that the statements did not constitute defamation of the deceased, and ordered the plaintiffs to bear the legal costs. Shincheonji became involved in controversy during the COVID-19 pandemic , an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infections followed from the participation of a SARS-CoV-2 infected person, "Patient 31," at

2910-528: The Feast of Tabernacles is observed by the members of Shincheonji who have come out of spiritual Babylon (the world without truth) into the truth of Shincheonji. These members themselves become spiritual booths (i.e., homes) where the Holy Spirit dwells, and they offer thanksgiving to God (Isaiah 40:6-7, 1 Corinthians 3:16). The origin of the Feast of Ingathering goes back to the time when the Israelites, after leaving Egypt under Moses' leadership, settled in

3007-535: The KCDC will be implementing stronger infectious disease control measures for travelers coming from overseas as of 1 April. Additionally, new self-quarantine measures for travelers coming from Europe or the United States will be in effect from the same day. For example, those showing symptoms but test negative, and those who are without symptoms and are staying short-term in Korea, need to quarantine for two weeks in

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3104-526: The October 2020 trial of Chairman Lee Man-Hee, where he is accused of not complying with epidemiological investigations, an official from the Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare acknowledged that Shincheonji officials made effort to provide the requested congregants’ information. The conversation records between Shincheonji officials and the Agency official show an expression of concern over privacy, not

3201-811: The Presbyterian Church. Lee left the Tabernacle Temple in 1971. Some have connected Lee to a countercult movement called Olive Tree , but this connection is not present in Shincheonji's biography of Lee. On March 14, 1984, Lee founded Shincheonji and opened its first temple that June in Anyang , Gyeonggi Province . Membership grew and in June 1990, the Zion Christian Mission Center was established in Seoul . In 1995,

3298-816: The Shincheonji Church of Jesus and are requesting the dispatch of instructors and Bible education. A representative of the Shincheonji Busan James Tribe stated, "Not only in India but around the world, requests for educational support from the Zion Christian Mission Center of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus and for incorporation into Shincheonji are increasing." The representative further emphasized that they will continue to actively engage with pastors of established churches, aiming for mutual cooperation. In Singapore, 21 members were arrested for congregating together and were charged with being

3395-476: The Shincheonji outbreak. A resident described the reaction, stating "It's like someone dropped a bomb in the middle of the city. It looks like a zombie apocalypse." The first death was reported in a mental ward of Cheongdo Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo County . According to the mayor of Daegu, the number of suspected cases as of 21 February was 544 among 4,400 examined followers of the church. The hospital

3492-644: The Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony ( SCJ ), commonly known as Shincheonji Church of Jesus or simply Shincheonji ( Korean :  신천지 ; Hanja :  新天地 ; lit.   New Heaven and New Earth ; IPA: [ɕintɕʰʌndʑi] ), is a new religious movement established in South Korea by Lee Man-hee . It is considered a pseudoreligion or cult by mainstream churches. Shincheonji's teaching claims that their founder, Lee,

3589-904: The absence of GM Korea, Ssangyong, Renult Samsung and a lot of KAIDA companies, Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai, Kia, Genesis) was the only Korean company to participate in this show. The 12th Seoul Motor Show ran from March 29 to April 7. Tesla took part in the 2019 Seoul Motor show. The 11th SEOUL MOBILITY SHOW ran from March 30 to April 9. The 10th SEOUL MOBILITY SHOW ran from April 2 to April 12. The 9th SEOUL MOBILITY SHOW ran from March 29 to April 7. Period: March 31 - April 10 Period: April 2–12 The 6th SEOUL MOBILITY SHOW ran from April 5 to April 15. Period: April 28 - May 8. The first SEOUL MOBILITY SHOW held in KINTEX . Period: November 20–29 Period: May 11–18 Period: April 24 - May 1 Period: May 4–10 COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea [REDACTED] The COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea

3686-526: The actual number seemed to be between 20,000 and 30,000. This was confirmed through HWPL's released photos and official statements, with an announcer mentioning "30,000 participants" during the event. In a civil lawsuit filed against Shincheonji for allegedly defaming the late Pastor Baek Dong-seop by teaching that he was the "Destroyer" mentioned in the Book of Revelation, the court did not hold Shincheonji leader Lee Man-hee liable for damages. On October 17, 2024,

3783-419: The administration of Shincheonji, centered around the chairman, who is considered the promised pastor of the New Testament. Additionally, there are seven educational directors responsible for education and twelve tribe leaders, named after the twelve disciples of Jesus, who form the foundation of the kingdom of heaven. The twelve tribes, led by these tribe leaders, each consist of smaller churches. The names of

3880-569: The barn (Mount Zion, Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony). The Feast of Ingathering is commemorated on September 24th, the day when the foundation of God's temple was laid, as recorded in Haggai 2. In 2014, it was estimated to have over 120,000 members, while a 2020 estimate put membership at around 200,000. It was once the fastest-growing religious church in South Korea. In March 2020, health authorities of

3977-539: The belief that this would protect them from the virus. Nearly 140 churches in Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul and is part of the Greater Seoul Area , will be closed if they do not implement preventive measures, including temperature checks, two-meter separation, and the wearing of masks. As more churches are holding services despite a government order for social distancing, on 30 March,

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4074-745: The church's "deceptive evangelism" and sought compensation for damages. However, the court dismissed the appeal, stating that there was no evidence of coercion or undue influence. The court recognized that Lee, as an adult, voluntarily participated in religious activities, leading to the rejection of his claims. Shincheonji is educating its members on preparations and behavioral guidelines before holidays, including instructing them to secretly check their family members' phones. Members are told to check their parents' phones for contacts, recent call logs, text messages, and whether there are any group chats on KakaoTalk excluding them. However, accessing someone's phone or extracting information without their consent constitutes

4171-422: The church's role in the outbreak," and stated that, "USCIRF has received reports of individuals encountering discrimination at work and spousal abuse because of their affiliation with the church." USCIRF reported that South Korean "Vice Minister of Health Kim Kang-lip has publicly stated that the Shincheonji church has cooperated with authorities." The Belgian NGO Human Rights Without Frontiers and CESNUR released

4268-551: The church, 1,261 reported symptoms. At the time, 169 confirmed cases involved the same church and another 111 came from the Cheongdo Daenam Hospital. 23 February saw another 123 cases with 75 being from Shincheonji and 24 February saw 161 additional cases with 129 being from the same religious group. Over 27,000 people have been tested for the virus with 19,127 negative results. On 24 February, 15 countries imposed travel restrictions to and from South Korea. It

4365-565: The controversial Manmin Central Church in Guro, Seoul became a cluster with 22 infections linked to a gathering in early March in which the group was preparing stock footage to use for online worship services. Other church clusters have appears in the cities of Suwon, Busan, Geochang, and Bucheon. As infection rates have risen outside Korea leading to increases of sick arriving in the country (476 of 9,661 cases were imported as of 30 March),

4462-566: The court ruled that the so-called 'Shincheonji Deceptive Evangelism', where members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus secretly teach their doctrines while hiding their affiliation, is illegal. The group is regarded as heretical by mainstream Christian denominations. Lee Man-hee was born in 1931. In 1967, Lee became a member of the Tabernacle Temple Church which, under pressure from the "religious purification policy" of Chun Doo-hwan (coup in 1980), became affiliated with

4559-422: The data. There was a day's delay in submitting information, however, as Shincheonji officials asked the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency about the legality of providing congregants’ citizen registration numbers and if the government will protect the congregants’ private information. On February 25, 2020, Shincheonji officials provided the list of requested information for all of its congregants. In

4656-425: The denomination continue to pass away, doubts are growing regarding the doctrine of physical immortality. The group is known for its aggressive, and deceptive proselytizing practices. With a poor image in mainstream South Korean society, Shincheonji leaders have at times instructed their members to lie about being adherents of the group, although the group has said that doing so is not its official policy. In 2022,

4753-516: The elderly, they offer free fortune-telling on the streets to collect personal information. Their tactics involve various forms of disguise and deception, engaging in activities that exploit religion to pursue the interests of the group, showcasing antisocial behavior. In a related case, the Suwon District Court upheld the first-instance ruling in the appeal of Lee, who had filed a "youth return lawsuit" against Shincheonji Church of Jesus. Lee claimed that he quit his teaching job and made donations due to

4850-455: The events in Moses' time but is based on the promise made by Jesus 2,000 years ago (Luke 22:14-20, Matthew 26:17-29). It is a festival of thanksgiving to God for guiding them through the revealed Word (the blood and flesh of Jesus) and for leading them out of spiritual Babylon (death) to spiritual Zion (God's kingdom, Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony), which

4947-560: The first case. The first South Korean national to be infected occurred three days later, a 55-year-old man who worked in Wuhan , China, and returned for a checkup with flu symptoms. The two infection reports were publicly released on 24 January. On 26 January, a 54-year-old South Korean man was the third case. He had used a rental car and visited three restaurants, a hotel, a convenience store and met his family before admitting himself to hospital. All these places were disinfected. On 27 January,

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5044-416: The fourth was being treated for pneumonia . Rumours circulated that the fourth patient had died, while the health authorities denied the rumours. Two more confirmed cases were reported on 30 January. The fifth patient was a 32-year-old South Korean man who returned from his work at Wuhan on 24 January. The sixth patient was the first case in South Korea who had never visited Wuhan. The 56-year-old man caught

5141-471: The government raised the social distancing level in Seoul to level 2. On 29 November, the social distancing level in other areas of the country was raised to 1.5. In December, it was raised to level 2.5 in some metropolitan areas and 2 in other areas. In early 2022, there was a major spike in cases related to the Omicron variant , with 170 thousand cases reported on February 22. South Korea began relaxing social distancing rules on 4 March 2022, and announced

5238-401: The government’s response to COVID-19 outbreaks in 2020. The group is apocalyptic and messianic in character, and has been described as a doomsday cult . The group's founder and leader is variously referred to by church followers as "Chairman Lee(이 총회장)"; "the chairman(회장)"; "the promised pastor(약속의 목자)"; "the one who overcomes(이긴자)"; or "the advocate(대언자)." Adherents believe that Lee

5335-409: The greater Seoul area continued to be found in South Korea, which led to KCDC director Jeong Eun-kyeong saying in June that the country had entered the second wave of infections. However, a WHO official disagreed with the assessment that the country was in a second wave. 16 August saw the highest number of cases (297) since March. The Sarang Jeil Church, led by Reverend Jeon Kwang-hoon , has become

5432-585: The group, realized its contradictions and falsehoods and exposed the truth about its practices. These former members have filed complaints with the police, reporting incidents of Shincheonji members visiting their homes to intimidate them. In the past, religious organizations deemed as cults by traditional religions were often refrained from placing advertisements. However, as the media environment changed and financial pressures increased, major newspapers began to accept ads from groups labeled as cults. The Korean Church Press Association reported that in 2023, there were

5529-418: The infection rates climbing back to over nearly 300 a day, the government has increased the social distancing level to 1.5 m in the capital, to try to curb the coronavirus infections. Due to this, high-risk areas like bars, clubs, and religious facilities are only allowed to accommodate up to 30 percent of their maximum capacity. Schools are also limiting their population to two thirds, as a result. The government

5626-447: The land of Canaan. During the physical harvest, they would gather their crops and store them in barns, offering thanks to God (Exodus 23:14-17). Today, however, the Feast of Ingathering is observed during the spiritual harvest. It is not merely a legalistic festival from the time of Moses but is celebrated in accordance with the promise of the New Testament. It is a festival of thanksgiving for being harvested and gathered into God's kingdom,

5723-610: The lawsuit started by the Mayor of Seoul, the police raided the church premises to check whether the list of members supplied by Shincheonji pursuant to a request by the authorities was, as the Mayor argued, not complete. The authorities checked the list seized during the raid with the one Shincheonji had supplied and concluded that discrepancies were minor. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) expressed concern that religious freedom rights of Shincheonji members may be violated in South Korea by "exaggerating

5820-425: The list of all congregants and complied with the government's request. There was no deadline listed in the official information request letter sent to Shincheonji for epidemiological investigation. The official request also did not ask for members’ citizen registration numbers. Despite this, officials from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency requested members’ citizen registration numbers to be included in

5917-575: The membership within South Korea was divided into 12 "tribes," according to geographic territories. In 1999, the headquarters were moved to Gwacheon , which has a prophetic meaning within Shincheonji theology. Mainline Christian churches became alarmed at the loss of members, and the first cases of deprogramming Shincheonji members began in 2002. The clash between the Chonnam National University Christian Student Union and Shincheonji at that time marked

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6014-474: The multilingual Facts Before Rumors campaign to separate common claims seen online. A Canadian cast member with the touring The Phantom of the Opera stage play entered Korea on 12 March, participated for roughly two weeks, and tested positive 2 April. An American colleague tested positive on 4 April, which shut down production of the musical until 14 April while the venue could be disinfected and contacts of

6111-828: The neighbouring Gyeonggi province. Furthermore, authorities banned indoor gatherings of more than 50 people, and outdoor ones of more than 100. After new case numbers dropped, with closer to 100 cases per day, authorities eased some restrictions in the greater Seoul area on 13 September, introducing new rules for a two-week period. The new rules allowed franchise cafes and bakeries to have customers drink and eat inside, dining at restaurants after 9 p.m., and indoors gyms and after-school academics to reopen. The requirement for these facilities to impose distancing rules such as having visitors sit at least one seat apart from each other or wear masks continued to be in place. On 12 October, after new cases numbers dropped below 100 per day, authorities relaxed some more social distancing measures. Due to

6208-496: The number of confirmed cases increased by 20. On 20 February 70 new cases were confirmed, giving a total of 104 confirmed cases, according to the KCDC. According to Reuters , KCDC attributed the sudden jump of 70 cases linked to "Patient No. 31", who had participated in a gathering in Daegu at the Shincheonji Church of Jesus the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony. On 20 February, the streets of Daegu were empty in reaction to

6305-432: The omission of information from certain congregants, such as minors and those at special risk for persecution, such as elected politicians or public officials. The police have determined that the intention for omitting certain congregants’ information was not for the purpose of obstructing disease prevention and control efforts, but to protect congregants of Shincheonji. In a recorded phone conversation, Chairman Lee told

6402-573: The organization. A dozen Chinese members of the church from Wuhan were also connected to the Daegu Shincheonji outbreak. In Busan , a 61-year-old Daegu resident is believed to have spread the virus and was diagnosed on February 18, 2020. At the time, the South Korean government had neither introduced social distancing nor restricted travel from China (apart from travel from the Hubei province). On February 18, 2020, Shincheonji issued

6499-558: The pandemic to surge in Daegu . As the disease spread among Shincheonji's members and thousands of others, there was a national outcry against the group and by February 22, 2020, over 1.3 million South Korean citizens signed an online petition to the Blue House requesting the government to disband Shincheonji entirely. On August 12, 2022, the Supreme Court in South Korea upheld the acquittal of Lee Man Hee on charges that he obstructed

6596-635: The police for allegedly violating COVID-19 self-isolation. Under the revised anti-infectious disease law, violators can face up to a year in prison, a 10 million won fine, or in the case of foreign passport holders—deportation. Seeing the infodemic on COVID-19 information starting in China and spreading to Korea and the US, fake news researcher Cha Meeyoung of KAIST and the Institute for Basic Science , along with researchers from Ewha Womans University , started

6693-464: The requested 14.4 billion won was not deposited. The case is still under investigation. Police investigation has ruled that the threatening letter was originally addressed to a different Shincheonji location in Gyeonggi-do. The group has been accused of exerting influence on politicians and political parties. A former member accused Chairman Lee of Shincheonji of having created the former name of

6790-770: The second patient had been released from hospital after testing negative in consecutive tests, becoming the country's first coronavirus patient to fully recover. On 15 February, a workshop for fitness dance instructors was held in Cheonan . By 9 March, dance classes at 12 sport facilities were associated with 112 cases of COVID-19. 30 of the cases were asymptomatic at the time of laboratory confirmation. 50.9 percent of cases were from instructors to fitness class participants, 33.9 percent were transmissions to family members by instructors or class participants, and 15.2 percent were during meetings with acquaintances or coworkers. On 18 February, South Korea confirmed its 31st case in Daegu ,

6887-399: The sect did cooperate with the authorities. About half of confirmed cases were linked to the Shincheonji Church as of 27 February; this was verified by health officials. As of 10 March, the KCDC was able to contact and test most of the Shincheonji Church members, with the total number of tests nationally standing at around 200,000. On 20 January, a 35-year-old Chinese woman was confirmed as

6984-685: The single digits (18, 20, 22 April), the government announced it was going to start lifting restrictions starting with stores, restaurants, gyms, cram schools , bars, and religious services; which is notable as most of the nation's infections came from places of worship. In coming weeks, arboretums, forests and national parks will begin to open with social distancing still in place until at least early May. After seeing Korea successfully lower cases of infection, President Moon Jae-in has engaged in "coronavirus diplomacy" with leaders of other nations, part of which involved exporting test kits to more than 20 countries. On 26 April, confirmed patient number 31 in Daegu

7081-491: The spread of the outbreak, without using the drastic measure of locking down entire cities. Despite these successful measures, however, a significant rise in the number of new infections has occurred beginning in August 2020, with clusters being linked to Protestant churches in the metropolitan Seoul area. Another rise began in the third week of November, and Seoul has since entered a third wave of infections. On 24 November,

7178-452: The staff, those staying in the same hotel, and over 8,000 people who recently attended were contacted by health authorities who told them to stay indoors and contact a testing centre if they develop symptoms. On 13 April, it was reported that at least 116 individuals who were infected and later cleared of the virus had again tested positive. The cause for this is under investigation but early speculation considered faulty tests, reactivation of

7275-490: The starting point for the organized response against Shincheonji. The organization of Shincheonji was created on Earth as an exact replica of the heavenly spiritual organization shown in Revelation 4, just as Moses built the Tabernacle according to the vision shown by God and Jesus acted according to what He saw God doing at the first coming. The structure and organization of Shincheonji consist of 24 departments overseeing

7372-528: The sudden jump mostly attributed to "Patient 31" who participated in a gathering at a Shincheonji Church of Jesus the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony church in Daegu . Amidst fears of further contamination, mass gatherings in the affected cities were cancelled and about 300 soldiers in Daegu were placed in isolation. On 4 February 2020, in order to help prevent spread of the disease, South Korea began denying entry to foreigners traveling from Hubei Province in China. South Korea introduced what

7469-492: The total confirmed cases. 13 March was the first time since the outbreak on 20 January in which the number of recoveries, 177, was larger than the number of those who newly tested positive, 110. However, with the recent cluster of cases in the Seoul Capital Area , there are new fears that infections may rise sharply. The controversy about Shincheonji also continued and generated international interest. After

7566-483: The total infections nationwide having stemmed from the church, the Seoul city government asked prosecutors to press charges against the religious group's founder and senior members for murder, causing harm, and for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. Interviews have occurred with all 230,000 members of the religious group and nearly 9,000 were said to be showing symptoms of

7663-515: The total to fifteen. A woman who had returned from a five-day vacation in Thailand tested positive and was confirmed as the sixteenth case on 4 February. Three more cases were confirmed on 5 February, taking the total to 19. The seventeenth and nineteenth patients had attended a conference in Singapore and been in contact with an infected individual there. The same day the KCDC announced that

7760-489: The twelve tribes are taken from the names of Jesus' twelve disciples. Shincheonji has four official seasons throughout the year. Excluding the anniversary of its founding, these seasons are related to the events of the Exodus in the Old Testament, and they are typically observed on the exact dates as originally recorded. This day commemorates the date, March 14th, when Lee Man-hee, the leader, founded Shincheonji. Passover

7857-400: The two-shot regimen to be administered to all adults, including the elderly. The approval came with a warning, however, that consideration is needed when administering the vaccine to individuals over 65 years of age due to limited data from that demographic in clinical trials. On 14 April 2021, South Korea reported 731 new confirmed cases, the most since January 2021, authorities anticipated

7954-560: The use of credit cards and checking CCTV footage of confirmed patients. However, since 18 February, the number of cases increased to more than 1,700 after discovering that patient No. 31 was a member of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus . Some media reported that it was difficult for KCDC to screen the patient because Shincheonji teaches that illness is sin. Many members were uncooperative with KCDC and were out of reach. However, Shincheonji denied this, and other sources report that

8051-613: The virus from the fifth patient through direct contact. The tenth and the eleventh patients were the wife and child of the sixth patient, who became infected while visiting him. On 1 February, a 49-year-old Chinese national working in Japan as a tour guide was confirmed as the twelfth patient. He caught the virus while visiting a Japanese patient in Japan and entered South Korea through Gimpo International Airport on 19 January. The KCDC confirmed an additional three cases on 2 February, bringing

8148-584: The virus in September 2020 and December 2020, however, surpassed the numbers seen during the outbreak associated with Shincheonji and have accelerated at a faster rate than the spread associated with Shincheonji's Daegu branch church. On February 24, 2020, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency requested a list of all Shincheonji congregants. The list included congregants’ name, citizen registration number, address, name of place of employment, and family member information. A day after, Shincheonji submitted

8245-475: The virus instead of re-infection, or remnants of the virus might remain yet not be harmful to the host or other individuals. The nation also stated their plans to send 600,000 testing kits to the United States and asked people to continue social distancing while hinting that a loosening of these regulations might come in the near future. By 17 April, the KCDC stated that it knew of 163 patients who were said to have recovered, but again tested positive. The exact cause

8342-432: The virus when visiting a restaurant with the third patient. On 31 January, a seventh patient was reported as a 28-year-old South Korean man returning from Wuhan on 23 January. He developed symptoms on 26 January 2020 and was admitted to hospital on 28 January. On the same day, four more patients were admitted into the record. The eighth patient, a 62-year-old South Korean woman, returned from Wuhan. The ninth patient caught

8439-417: The virus. Airlines cut connections and cultural schedules were canceled due to fears of further spread. United States Forces Korea raised the alert level from low to moderate and cut off non-essential travel to and from USFK Daegu. USFK Daegu's school facilities were closed and non-essential personnel were ordered to stay at home while any visitors going there were not allowed to enter. USFK announced that

8536-635: The virus. Due to the number of infections in the country, ninety-five countries have banned or limited entry for South Korean passport holders. Testing is also conducted at drive-through testing sites where patients do not leave their vehicles, but are met by medical personnel in hazmat suits over several stations. The process is completed in a few minutes and results come in several days. On 8 March, KCDC in South Korea announced that 79.4% of confirmed COVID-19 cases were related to group infection. KCDC also announced that outbreak associated with Shincheonji Church totaled 4,482 infections, accounting for 62.8% of

8633-490: The widow of a retired soldier who was in Daegu was diagnosed to be positive for the virus on 24 February. Camp Humphreys enacted virus detection protocols, including temperature checks and raised the alert level to high. On 26 February, an American soldier based at Camp Carroll was diagnosed to be positive and was quarantined away from bases via off-base housing unit with contact tracing done that showed his movements to Camp Walker. As of 22 February, among 9,336 followers of

8730-483: Was admitted to a hospital in Suwon . His more than 1,300 contacts, several among them being difficult to identify and trace, were urged to self-isolate and have themselves tested for the virus. Because of this incident, the Seoul city government ordered all clubs, bars, room salons, and other nightlife establishments in the city to close indefinitely. As of 10 May, the number of cases in the cluster had increased to 54, and

8827-450: Was considered one of the largest and best-organised epidemic control programs in the world, along with Singapore , Taiwan , and Vietnam . Various measures have been taken to mass test the population for the virus, and isolate any infected people as well as trace and quarantine those they had contact with, without any further lockdown . The rapid and extensive testing undertaken by South Korea has been judged successful in limiting

8924-511: Was discharged after 67 days. After a sustained period of new cases in the country numbering less than 20 a day, a new cluster emerged in central Seoul. A 29-year-old patient from Yongin was found to have visited at least five nightclubs in Itaewon during the late night hours of 1 May and the early morning hours of 2 May. After having gone to other places in Seoul and neighboring Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces, he tested positive for COVID-19 and

9021-565: Was expected to rise further because of the many potentially exposed individuals. On 11 May, there were 79 cases linked with the clubs in Itaewon. As multiple media outlets identified at least one of the bars as a gay bar, the LGBT community in Seoul feared an anti-gay backlash; social media users threatened to track and stop the "immoral acts" in some of the nightclubs. On 17 June 2020, reports surfaced of long-distance COVID-19 transmission within

9118-568: Was not known but they stated several possibilities. Patient #31 continuously stayed in the hospital 58 days, as of 14 April. The single occupancy room she is in costs 400,000 KRW per day (roughly US$ 360) with a total hospital bill thus far north of 40 million won (roughly US$ 36,000). While she is the longest hospitalized COVID-19 patient in Korea, 4.9% of those infected have stayed in a hospital for more than 50 days. Additionally, another one thousand people have been quarantined for four weeks or more. After several days with new infections numbering in

9215-735: Was reported that a senior health official overseeing the COVID-19 efforts in Daegu tested positive and was also a member of Shincheonji. Within a few days, a petition to the nation's president urging for the disbandment of the church had over 750,000 signatures. Their headquarters in Gwacheon was raided by law enforcement and government officials said all 245,000 members of the religious group would be found and tested. On 28 February, over 2,000 confirmed cases were reported. On 2 March, there were over 4,200 confirmed cases. With an additional 4,000 cases of COVID-19 within two weeks, and roughly 60% of

9312-732: Was sentenced to 6 months in prison with 2 years suspension of sentence and 80 hours of mandated volunteer work. On 21 September 2020, a Shincheonji branch church in Daejeon, South Korea, received an anonymous threat letter containing white powder later identified by the Chemical Safety Agency and the Geumgang Basin Environment Agency to be cyanide, a USB containing a Bitcoin address and a message demanding 14.4 billion won. The anonymous message stated that harm would come upon Shincheonji congregants if

9409-400: Was suspected as the source of the present outbreak after it was visited by a woman who became the second fatal case of South Korea on that day. Upon investigation, it was determined that the infection had spread to that hospital through a funeral ceremony attended by members of the church. All South Korean military bases were on lockdown after tests confirmed three soldiers to be positive for

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