Shincheonji Church, where devotees sit on the floor and are prohibited from wearing masks, is the site of Patient 31 in Korea.

Former followers of Shincheonji (Tan Thien Dia) said they went to church even when they were sick. After the service, they were divided into groups to study the Bible, or to go out on a mission.

"We were told that we should not be afraid of sickness, nor should we care about mundane things like work, ambition or passion. Everything is focused on evangelizing, even when we are sick. ", Lee Ho-yeon, who left the sect since 2015, said.

Tan Thien Dia is now the focus of attention, after dozens of cases of nCoV infection related to the cult's church in Daegu, the fourth largest city in Korea with a population of 2.5 million. A 61-year-old woman, also known as Patient 31, is believed to be responsible for the super infection.

The patient on February 7 went to Saeronan Hospital in Suseong District, Daegu due to a minor traffic accident, but later left because of a minor injury. The next day, she complained that she had a sore throat. However, the woman still attended the ceremony at Tan Thien Dia church on February 9, health officials said.

On February 10, she had a fever and began taking antibiotics to treat pneumonia on February 14. Despite the health condition, the woman went to lunch with friends on February 15 at a buffet restaurant located in the Queenvell hotel in Dong district. This venue can accommodate more than 1,000 people at weddings.

On February 16, the woman continued to attend church for Sunday ceremony. At least 1,000 Xinjiang members have attended one of the two ceremonies for Patient 31 since she developed symptoms of nCoV infection, South Korean officials said.

Doctors have at least twice asked the woman to go to a larger hospital for nCoV testing, but she declined, insisting that she has not been to China in recent months, nor has anyone seen. virus.

However, the woman finally agreed to test for nCoV at a government-run clinic on February 17, after symptoms worsened. The very next day, doctors confirmed that she had nCoV.

"For those familiar with the New Heavenly Earth, her behavior is not surprising," said Chung Yun-seok, a sectarian expert and the Christian Portal News website operator. "To them, being sick is a sin because it prevents them from serving God."

Within two weeks of confirming nCoV infection, Patient 31 took a taxi at least 5 times and was still working. On January 29, the woman also took a train to visit the company's headquarters in Gangnam district, Seoul. Earlier this month, she also went to Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang Province, which is located near Daegu, and had two deaths from nCoV in a hospital.

Cheongdo is home to Lee Man-hee, who proclaimed himself a prophet of God and founded New Heaven in 1984. Believers of the cult often make pilgrimages and volunteer work in Cheongdo. They are believed to have gathered in the locality earlier this month to attend the funeral of Lee's brother.

However, Korean news agency Newsis quoted Patient 31 as saying she did not go to the hospital in Cheongdo nor attend the funeral, but used a public bath when she arrived in the district.

Patient 31's husband and two children are in isolation, while health officials have disinfected and temporarily closed the sites she used to visit for two weeks before confirming positive for nCoV. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) added that Patient 31 had contact with 166 people and they all had to isolate themselves.

Authorities are also trying to find out where Patient 31 contracted nCoV. Hwang Eui-jong, a pastor of religious studies, noted that the New Heavenly even preached to Koreans living in northeastern China and many had been invited to Korea.

KCDC director Jung Eun-kyeong said the authorities were investigating the information that Tianjin has once operated in Hubei province, central China. Newsis on February 21 reported that Tianjin last year opened a church in Wuhan city, where the Covid-19 epidemic began, but this information was removed from the sectarian website. Tan Thien Dia has not commented on this issue yet.

South Korea today recorded an additional 142 people infected with nCoV, bringing the total number of Covid-19 cases in the country to 346. Cheongdo district and Daegu city are now placed under "special management" by the government as the majority. infection.

As of yesterday, 128/153 cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province were confirmed to be associated with the church of New Heavenly Yard. This sect has closed the church in Daegu and directed the organization of online prayer services, or worshipers at home.

"Unlike other sects, Tan Thien Dia forced believers to sit close to each other on the floor during the ceremony, in a clear order. We were asked not to wear anything on the face, such as glasses or mouthpieces. Trang, at the same time, he was taught to sing a hymn loudly. "

However, Tan Thien Dia, February 21, dismissed criticism of their activities, calling it a "slander based on prejudices against churches" and explaining that believers must sit close together on The floor by the local government does not allow the cult to build a larger church.

After the case of Patient 31 caught the attention, Tan Thien Dia believers received a message asking to continue the mission in a small group, adding that if asked by officials, they should deny joining the denomination or used to attend the ceremonies. However, the New Heavenly Church said it was not their official course and disciplined the sender of the message.

Officials said as of Feb. 21, they still could not contact more than 340 members of the New Heavenly Earth. "The believers know they have a bad reputation, so they often hide their denomination, even with their parents. It's not surprising that they can't communicate with many believers. They must be together. somewhere and pray everything is over, "said Pastor Hwang Eui-jong.