Church Says Will Sue Seoul Over COVID-19 Contact Tracing

Jakarta Post ^ | 8/21/20 | Kim Arin

[marshmallow]

The church at the center of South Korea’s coronavirus resurgence said Friday that it will sue the Seoul Metropolitan Government for enforcing contact tracing.

Representatives of the Sarang Jeil Church said at a press conference outside the church in Seongbuk, a district in northern Seoul, that the police, under the direction of the city office, forcibly entered the church in trying to obtain information for contact tracing Thursday. The fierce stand-off between church officials and the police lasted nearly 10 hours.

“We will take legal action against Seoul officials for ordering the police search,” they said.

History seems to be repeating itself in the country’s newfound plight in battle against the virus as cases escalate among religious groups. At the pandemic’s initial peak in late February, the coronavirus had spread mainly through followers of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu.

The latest outbreak among worshippers at the Seoul church is the second-biggest cluster of COVID-19 in Korea -- behind Shincheonji’s over 5,200 -- with at least 739 confirmed cases as of Friday morning. The church’s pastor, Rev. Jung Kwang-hoon, was diagnosed with the disease Monday after claiming he was healthy at a Saturday rally attended by hundreds in central Seoul.

The church is accused of withholding key details and refusing to cooperate with public health officials, with its leaders claiming their freedom to worship is threatened by the new government orders. The government on Tuesday placed a ban on in-person services and gatherings at churches in the Seoul area.

Christian groups say the ban violates their right to practice their faith. In a message to its members, the Communion of Churches in Korea said Thursday that the orders were “not acceptable” and that “services cannot be stopped.” “Church is essential,” it said.

[sheehan]

in former authoritarian societies like South Korea, there is no due process, no warrants, no jury trial, no bail....

one can be thrown into jail without being charged upto 20 days

coming to America soon.

[AndyJackson]

In principal I think contact tracing to stop an epidemic is and only to stop an epidemic is a good thing. BUT, the problem with contact tracing in the US is that you give the feds an inch and the FBI takes a 1000 miles. Try telling the feds it's only about stopping COVID 19 and the one thing that the FBI and DOJ deep state will not do is stop COVID 19.

That is because we have become a lawless society with a radical Marxist democratic party that lies, is untethered to reality, denies reality, is delusional, and is corrupt beyond belief.