South Korea’s battle to contain a new outbreak of the coronavirus has been complicated by a political and religious fight between President Moon Jae-in’s administration and some of his fiercest critics.
Sarang Jeil Church is the second religious group at the centre of a major coronavirus outbreak in South Korea.
The government accuses the church of obstruction by not providing complete lists of its members and spreading fake news that is hindering anti-virus efforts, while church members say they are victims of a politically motivated witch hunt.
When the first infections were reported among church members on Aug. 12, the government says the group flouted social distancing instructions, with the church’s leader and others attending a massive anti-Moon rally in Seoul on Aug. 15.
Speaking at the rally, Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon said Moon had “terrorised our church with the Wuhan virus”.
Jun, an outspoken government critic, later tested positive for the virus. As of Thursday, at least 739 people affiliated with the church have tested positive, out of 3,415 tested, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
On Friday night police executed a search warrant at the church’s office to gather membership lists, church official Lee Dong-ho told Reuters. The church said it had already provided full lists, but health authorities accused the church of underreporting its membership.
