As of Feb. 24, 2020, 9 a.m. local time, coronavirus cases in South Korea had reached 763, according to statistics from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The China anti-cult federation reported that 458 cases were tied mainly to the Korean cult 'Shincheonji Church of Jesus'.
The superspreader, a believer of the cult, and the organization's lying attitude to the investigation, aroused the indignation of many Korean residents. It was said that South Korea found 1,261 people suspected of positive responses to the COVID-19 among the inspected 9,336 cult followers.
According to Yonhap News Agency, there are 1,529 Shincheonji churches and facilities in South Korea and the rest of the world. There are 18,440 members in China.
An eschatology institute said by the end of last March, there were 18,440 Shincheonji followers who were active in 19 areas across China. They were mainly scattered in Changchun, Dalian, Shenyang, Beijing, and Shanghai.
A Chinese anti-cult expert claimed, "While this set of statistics is basically accurate, it only refers to those who are formally in; in other words, those believers who have been brainwashed for one year, qualified for all exams, and gone through the enrollment procedures."
In China, the cult is active on the Internet, making full use of instant messaging platforms to attract people and spread its doctrines through online courses.
Arousing the vigilance and attention of the government and churches, it is warned against by many provincial-level Christian Council & Three-Self Patriotic Movement (CC&TSPM) and churches.
- Translated by Karen Luo
