There was a big secondary infection again in Korea on early March. It was sparked by centering a certain club in Itaewon, Seoul, Korea. The press reported the club was for sexual minority, gay. After the first patient of Itaewon, many confirmed patients broke out. Because of this, many citizens criticized 20s who had visited clubs during social distancing and sexual minorities who had visited the clubs for gay but did not test for COVID-19 because their surrounding people could know their identities.
In May 10, the Korean prime minister said, “Blame to a certain community does not help quarantine. If contact people afraid of blame avoid test, our whole society will take the damage. In a enclosed space for a long time, everyone can be exposed to infection,” in the conference of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for COVID-19.
In the situation that 2nd large mass infection can occur in South Korea, the response of the Korean government and the local governments are completely different from before 1st mass infection centering Shincheonji Church. They pay attention to their words by expressing the sexual minority as “Community” rather than “Group.” About this situation, the Korean government has a large attention to human rights.
What it is sad is that as soon as COVID-19 mass infection was confirmed in Shincheonji Daegu’s Church, the government and governors of local governments treated Shincheonji as the epicenter of COVID-19 and commented “search and confiscation,” “accusation,” and “mobilization of administrative power.” It is very different from Itaewon’s.
The COVID-19 outbreak from Itaewon’s club was during the period of social distancing but when Shincheonji Daegu’s congregation had took worship service was the time the Korean president had recommended normal life. “Patient 31” and Shincheonji members were only victims who believed the president’s policy and took daily worship.
Like the prime minister’s words, COVID-19 is the virus everyone can be infected when people are in a sealed space. Intolerance against a certain group does not help quarantine. But Shincheonji congregants have been condemned until now. I want people do not wear tinted glasses. Also, politicians should do too and have neutrality consistently.
Some politicians and media outlets made Shincheonji the epicenter of COVID-19 and Shincheonji became a scapegoat with pre-existing churches’ cult frame.
Italian sociologist Massimo Introvigne discussed the issues Shincheonji faces after coronavirus pandemic. He said, “Shincheonji has become a scapegoat during this epidemic.” Massimo Introvigne is an Italian sociologist and the founder and Managing Director of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) in Torino. He researched Shincheonji Church for a long time and had correct information about it.
He also highlighted the plight and victimization of Shincheonji members who had contracted the virus. He explained the harsh treatment was exacerbated by the Korean media describing the members as “cultists.” Introvigne described the maltreatment as a range beginning from insults to discrimination in the form of loss of employment and even being scapegoated for the pandemic itself.
Let’s not get disturbed mind according to media manipulation.
After the Coronavirus in South Korea: Intolerance Against Shincheonji
FactCheck between Shincheonji Church of Jesus and the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
Coercive conversion is an amoral and criminal practice implemented by Presbyterian pastors who belong to the Christian Council of Korea (CCK). Thank you for raising awareness by posting this article. I'll do all I can to help raise awareness to call for an end to this practice.
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