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The leader of a spiritual sect in South Korea will be examined over a few of the nation’s coronavirus deaths.
The local government of the capital Seoul has asked district attorneys to charge Lee Man-hee, the founder of the Shincheonji Church, and 11 others.
They are implicated of concealing the names of some members as officials tried to track clients prior to the virus spread.
South Korea is fighting the worst coronavirus outbreak outside China.
The country has actually reported 3,730 cases and 21 deaths so far. More than half of all infections include members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a fringe Christian group.
Authorities state Shincheonji members infected one another in the southern city of Daegu last month, before fanning out around the nation.
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One senior member, Kim Shin-chang, told the BBC’s Laura Bicker that the church was “extremely sorry for triggering concern”.
He admitted that some church members had hesitated to reveal their identities but stated the church had actually now exposed all of its details, consisting of all its locations and members.
” We were stressed over releasing this kind of details since of the safety of our members, but we believe today the most important thing is to completely work together with the government,” he stated.
What’s taking place in South Korea?
On Sunday the Seoul Local government submitted a legal problem to district attorneys versus 12 leaders of the sect. They are implicated of homicide, triggering harm and breaking the Contagious Illness and Control Act.
All 230,000 members of the church have actually been interviewed. Almost 9,000 said they were showing symptoms of coronavirus.
A 61- year-old female member of the sect who checked favorable for the virus was among the first to be infected.
She initially refused to be taken to a healthcare facility to be tested and is known to have attended numerous church gatherings before testing positive.
The sect’s leader, Lee Man-hee, claims he is the Messiah. He has actually also been tested for the infection and is waiting for the results.
Roman Catholic churches stay closed, major Protestant groups have cancelled Sunday services and all Buddhist occasions have actually been cancelled.
Anger grows over sect’s reaction
This investigation has actually been stimulated by Seoul City Mayor Park Won-soon, who urged the Chief District attorney to detain the sect leader.
But this does not indicate the church leaders will deal with murder charges.
As soon as district attorneys have actually finished their examination they will choose which charges, if any, to bring versus the sect.
Who is Lee Man-hee?
Lee Man-hee, 88, claims he is the second coming of Jesus Christ and determines as “the promised pastor” pointed out in the Bible.
He established the Shincheonji Church in1984 In Korean, Shincheonji methods “new heaven and earth”.
The group is thought about a cult by lots of. Mr Lee’s followers think he will take 144,000 individuals to paradise with him.
The church says it has more than 20,000 followers beyond South Korea including in China, Japan and locations of Southeast Asia.
The group is understood for packing its followers firmly together during services. Glasses, necklaces and earrings are reportedly prohibited from services.
What do I need to know about the coronavirus?
- WHAT ARE THE SIGNS? A simple guide
- WAYS TO AVOID CAPTURING IT: How to wash your hands
- WHERE ARE WE WITH A VACCINE? Development so far
- A VISUAL GUIDE TO THE OUTBREAK: Virus maps and charts
- WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR MY HOLIDAY? Your rights as a visitor
What about the rest of the world?
More than 85,403 cases of the new coronavirus have actually been validated in over 50 nations, according to the World Health Company (WHO).
The worldwide death toll is more than 2,900 The large bulk of infections and deaths are in China.
On Sunday, Australia and Thailand likewise tape-recorded their very first fatalities from the coronavirus.
A 78- year-old Australian man died after being infected on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan last month.
Thailand, which has had 42 cases of the virus, said a 35- year-old guy who died was also suffering from dengue fever.
In Paris, the Louvre museum did not open on Sunday. The museum said on Twitter a meeting was being hung on the public health circumstance and “the museum can not open at the moment”.
France has actually prohibited all indoor gatherings of more than 5,000 individuals, as part of efforts to consist of the coronavirus break out.
- The US on Saturday reported the first death in the nation, in the state of Washington. Officials stated the patient was a male in his 50 s with underlying health conditions
- Iran reported 385 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 978 up until now. The death toll rose to 54
- Italy – the worst-hit nation Europe – says it will present steps worth 3.6 bn euros (₤ 3.10 bn) to deal with the financial impact of the outbreak
Have you been impacted by the coronavirus?
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