South Korea faces a new coronavirus outbreak (and a religious cult is one of the epicenters)

The town, which has been confined, has only 427 inhabitants. At least 241 people linked to that congregation tested positive for coronavirus, an official informed the British agency, detailing that only 17 of the members were vaccinated.

“Anti-government beliefs”

“I think it is the anti-government beliefs of the church that prevented the believers from getting vaccinated,” he explained, revealing that the members of the rural temple, for the most part, are over 60 years of age.

The congregation was founded in the early 1990s and has seen the number of its faithful grow ever since. While not officially listed as a sect, the pastor is known to practice forbidden rituals by Korean Christianity.

In August last year, South Korean police arrested Lee Man-hee, leader of the Church of Jesus Shincheonji, for allegedly impeding the government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, more than 5,000 cases of the virus are associated with that religious group.

Alarming figures

Since the start of the health emergency, the Asian country has registered a total of 3,401 deaths and 429,002 cases, according to updated data from the South Korean Agency for Disease Control and Prevention (KDCA).

November 1st restrictions were eased by covid-19 with the aim of gradually returning to pre-pandemic life following a three-stage plan. Given the current situation, the health authorities believe that it will be impossible to move to the second phase, scheduled for the middle of next month.

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Thursday that the capital area has almost reached a level where hospitals are unable to receive more patients. According to the KDCA, 79.3% of the country’s population, of 52 million inhabitants, has received the full course of the vaccine.

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