Stranger Things

I decided to start a new thread from March 2020 mainly to make it easier to post links. The previous thread is in reverse chronological order, but chronological order is easier to maintain over longer periods of time. The previous thread, which contains article links, videos, and other resources from 2011 until Feb. 29, 2020, can be found here.


Seven Dark & Disturbing Secrets About Shincheonji: The Shadowy Church in South Korea (Unscrambled)

Man Shares About Bible Studies Experience with Alleged S'pore Branch of Shincheonji Church (Mothership - lots of details regarding recruiting tactics that are consistent with other testimonies)

Shincheonji Founder Tested For Coronavirus, Awaits Result (Yonhap News)

Shincheonji Founder Under Criminal Investigation (The Korea Times)

Mayor of Seoul Park Won-sun's Facebook Post Regarding Lee Man-hee (Facebook) Online Translation Available Here

Quote... It is the role of the prosecution now to arrest General Assembly President Lee Man-hee, who is responsible for the virus' epicenter that threatens the lives of the people. In addition, the Seoul Metropolitan Government asked the Minister of Health and Welfare to provide the following data in accordance with the provisions related to the infectious disease management law. ...

Shincheonji Director Denies Responsibility for South Korea Coronavirus Infections (CNN)

Shincheonji Founder to be Tested for Virus (The Korea Herald)

Korean Cults: The Missing Link Between the Coronavirus, Sewol Ferry Disaster & Pres. Park Geun-hye's Impeachment (John Power for SCMP)

S. Korea Focuses Containment Efforts on Shincheonji (The Korea Herald)

Shadowy South Korean Church & Alleged Cult Attempting to Establish Itself in S'pore, Explained (Mothership)

Why a South Korean Church Was the Perfect Petri Dish for Coronavirus (Wall Street Journal - Paywall)


Secretive Cult Behind the Korean Coronavirus Outbreak has Branches in Australia (The Age)

South Korea to Charge Shincheonji Church Leader Over Coronavirus Spread, Church Accused of Hiding Information (ABC)

Most New Coronavirus Infections Among Sect Followers (Chosun Ilbo)

Shincheonji in Singapore: Secret Classes, Lies & Deception (Singapore Times - Paywall)

Coronavirus: South Korea Sect Leader to Face Probe over Deaths (BBC)

Shincheonji Claims Its Founder Tests Negative for Coronavirus (KBS World Radio)

Local Governments Take Legal Action Against Shincheonji (The Korea Herald)

QuoteThe Seoul City government filed complaints with the prosecution against Shincheonji leader Lee Man-hee and 12 branch heads alleging murder, inflicting injuries and violation of the law on the prevention and control of infectious diseases.

Seoul Mayor Sues South Korea Religious Group for 'Murder' and 'Injury' Over Spike in Coronavirus Cases (CNBC)

Most New Coronavirus Infections Among Sect Followers (Chosun Ilbo)

QuoteThe Justice Ministry on Saturday said 42 people of the Shincheonji sect visited Wuhan from July last year to February this year, according to an exhaustive search of the travel records of 244,743 followers. .... Shincheonji continues to deny that followers visited Wuhan, where the sect had a branch. "As we revealed already, none of the 350 followers of our church in Wuhan, China came to Korea since December.

Coronavirus: South Korea's Shincheonji Church Claims 'Persecution' (BBC)

Shincheonji Founder Doesn't Have Coronavirus (The Korea Herald)

Quote... he has been sending messages to worshippers. In his latest letter, the leader proclaimed that the ongoing virus outbreak is the "great tribulation" that the Bible's Book of Revelation predicted in the final days before the end of the world, a local newspaper reported.

Shincheonji Leader to Hold Press Conference (The Korea Times)


Shincheonji Head Apologizes, Vows Full Support (The Korea Herald)

The Reasons Why Transmission Is So Prevalent Among Shincheonji Members (Chosun Ilbo)

South Korean Cult Church Leader Claiming to be Messiah Could Face Coronavirus 'Murder' Charge (Independent - Good Summary)

What Went Down at Shincheonji Leader's First Press Conference (The Korea Herald)

QuoteLee Man-hee, the founder and leader of a messianic Christian church at the center of South Korea's explosive outbreak, refused to be tested for the new coronavirus after claiming he was negative at a public appearance Monday afternoon. ...

Asked by reporters if he could confirm he was virus negative, Lee replied he didn't know "what it means to be negative," but that he had "gotten a flu shot." ...

Lee said he was sorry for "some of the church members" who have been uncooperative and contributed to the spread of the virus.

"What needed to come from Lee today was not a message to the public, but to his followers," Tark Ji-il, a Shincheonji scholar and religious studies professor at Busan Presbyterian University, told The Korea Herald. "Lee holds absolute authority in the church. One word from him could make followers who still can't be reached as we speak show up and cooperate," he said. "He can tell his followers to do just that, and yet he didn't."

He Blames 'Evil' for South Korea's Coronavirus Surge. Officials Blame Him (The New York Times - Paywall)

Gold Watch Overshadows South Korean Sect Leader Lee Man-hee's Coronavirus Apology (The Straits Times)

Shincheonji in Singapore: 2 Ex-Members Share Stories of Secret Classes, Lies & Deception (The Straits Times - Paywall - Related video below)


Shincheonji-phobia and the Coronavirus in South Korea (Shincheonji Press Release - Makes no mention of Lee's apology)

QuoteThe rapid proliferation of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has resulted in 13 deaths and 1,766 confirmed cases in South Korea as of February 27th. Shincheonji Church so far has nearly 500 members confirmed positive to the virus and as a result has become the target discrimination and defamation. Several media outlets in South Korea have spread inaccurate and unfounded pseudo reports not from a source at Shincheonji but instead from sources backed by organizations who have had hostilities towards Shinchonji.

Here are the facts:
Back on Feb. 19, South Korean President Moon Jae-In stated that a full survey and diagnosis of Shincheonji members were necessary. On Feb. 25, Shincheonji Church handed a list of 210,000 members to health authorities with the condition of protecting their identities. On Feb. 26, health authorities began telephone surveys and tests for those who had symptoms.

Chosun Ilbo, a major newspaper in South Korea, reported that 5 people with pneumonia were found positive at the virus test by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters before any Shincheonji member was involved. The medical community noted that the COVID-19 cases had already proliferated before the infection of members of Shincheonji Church.

Shincheonji Church, recognized across the world in 2019 for their graduation of 100,000 students in a free bible seminar, Zion Mission Center has since been provocative in Korean society, mostly because its rapid growth in the past decade. ...

Shincheonji Founder Lee Man-hee Refuses to Answer Question About Eternal Life (The Korea Herald - Good Background Information)

Korean Religious Sect with High Coronavirus Rate Values Secrecy (Los Angeles Times)

COVID-19: Seoul's Mayor Sues Shincheonji Church of Jesus leaders Over Spike in Cases (CNA)

The Korean Clusters: How Coronavirus Cases Exploded in South Korean Churches & Hospitals (Reuters Graphics)

Shincheonji's Founder Says Sorry for Role in Illnesses (Korea JoongAng Daily)

QuoteAsked if he had been tested for the coronavirus, Lee said, "I was told to take the test, but I don't know what has happened. They said I tested negative, but I don't know what negative means. I take an influenza vaccine shot every year, and if I get influenza, I shouldn't meet other people."

The moderator of the press conference intervened and clarified that Lee was tested at a hospital and was negative. The assistant started feeding answers to him when he became incoherent, and church officials rushed to end the press conference. Lee insisted on continuing, but the officials ended the session and took questions instead.

Sect Leader Emerges From Hiding (Chousn Ilbo)

QuoteLee, who is hard of hearing, took questions from reporters as a female assistant stood next to him and repeated them with occasional whispered prompts. When one reporter asked Lee when he arrived at the retreat, the assistant was heard telling him, "You can tell them you arrived here on the 17th last month." Lee absentmindedly said. "My job doesn't allow me to stay put, so I just moved around." But the assistant whispered, "Just tell them you stayed here."

Why a Korean Cult is at the Centre of a Huge Coronavirus Scare (The Financial Times)

Who is The Woman Next to Beleaguered Shincheonji Founder? (The Korea Times)

Shincheonji Founder's Appearance Draws Attention (The Korea Times)

Korea Shifts Focus from Shincheonji to Daegu Citizens to Stem Virus Epidemic (The Korea Herald)

QuoteThe government views this week and next week as critical for the country's containment strategy, given the 14-day incubation period of the virus. The religious sect's last service at its Daegu branch was held Feb. 16 before it was shut down.

Two Shincheonji followers had visited the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, the authorities said, and a further epidemiological investigation is underway. One of them tested positive for the virus. The government has yet to identify how the mass infections among the Shincheonji followers began.

Reasons Why So Many in 20s, Women Contract Virus in S. Korea (The Korea Herald)

Quote"Women in their 20s-30s reportedly make up a large amount of Shincheonji followers, and it is showing in the high percentage of COVID-19 cases in those age groups," KCDC director Jung Eun-kyeong said at a news briefing. Local reports have said Shincheonji targets younger people aggressively with clandestine evangelistic activities, and that nearly 60 percent of its worshippers are thought to be in their 20s and 30s.

One possible explanation for the greater number of infections among women can be found in Korea's patient No. 31, a 61-year-old female Shincheonji follower who contracted the first identified infection within the church. She is suspected to have spread the virus at church services she attended in Daegu. Observers say it is likely that she was in contact with more female church members, as men and women sit separately at Shincheonji services.

South Korea Seeks Criminal Charges Against Christian Sect Over Coronavirus Spread (France 24)

Coronavirus Cases Among S. Korean Women Nearly Double That of Men (The Hankyoreh)

Religious Group Faces Homicide Probe for Coronavirus Links (CNN Video - 1:30 is worth watching)

Perfect Petri Dish for The Corona Virus (Bandera County Courier)

Stuff: Coronavirus: Cult Blamed For Spread in Korea Also Active in NZ (Stuff NZ)

MHA Looking to Ban Activities of Singapore Chapter of Church at Centre of South Korea's Coronavirus Outbreak (The Straits Times)

Prosecutors Cautious about Compulsory Investigation of Lee Man-hee (Kyunghyang Shinmun)

Inside Secret Cult Spreading Explosive Coronavirus Outbreak (News Australia)

Interview: Understanding The Shincheonji Cult (The Hankyoreh)

Shincheonji Sect Linked to Over Half of Coronavirus Infections (Chosun Ilbo)

Infections Top 4,000 & Daegu Concentration Continues (Korea JoongAng Daily)

QuoteKorea's infection tally rose Monday as government officials went down a list of Shincheonji worshippers and tracked their movements, a process that's been going on for a couple of weeks - and extensively in the past couple of days - since a mid-aged female Shincheonji adherent in Daegu, Patient No. 31, tested positive for the virus on Feb. 18.

Patient No. 31 was the first known case linked to Shincheonji's church in Daegu, and more than 2,000 infections have been traced to the same church building since, either in churchgoers or people who contacted them

Infected SCJ Member Opens His Cafe (Seoul News - Korean Article)

QuoteA 34-year-old Shincheonji member opened the cafe and operated it during self-isolation was confirmed positive for the virus on the same day. Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, filed a complaint with the police against the man on charges of violating the law on prevention and management of infectious diseases.

South Korea: Inside Secretive Shincheonji cult Spreading Coronavirus (New Zealand Herald)

QuoteCritics have compared Lee's massive outdoor events before rapt fans to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's propaganda rallies, and say Lee uses Jesus as "a front" for what is really worship of him. Lee hosts his own Olympiad with military-style guards where followers dress in the same colour waving his trademark folding fan.

Gov't Confirms Shincheonji Founder as Korean War Veteran (The Korea Times)

Celebrities Deny Connection With Shincheonji (The Korea Times)

KCDC: 66% of Coronavirus Cases Linked to Mass Infections (Yonhap News)

Shincheonji Head's Political Fashion Provokes Controversy (The Korea Herald)

Coronavirus: Wuhan Shincheonji Member Says Church Followed Quarantine Rules (South China Morning Post)

QuoteEach "holy disciple" is required to convert at least one believer every year. Anyone who fails to do so is required to pay up 1.1 million Korean won (US$920) as an offering to make up for the lost headcount, according to former Shincheonji members cited by the researcher....

Angel said despite the controversy and accusations against Shincheonji her faith had not been shaken. "I'm saddened to see there are so many bad things said about us," she said. "It is unfortunate that we are now known in such a way, but it doesn't bother me because at least everyone in the world has heard the name Shincheonji."

South Korea Authorizes Raid of Shincheonji Amid COVID-19 Outbreak (Elizabeth Shim for UPI)

South Korean Cult Responsible For Over Half of Covid-19 Cases Allegedly Told Members to Spread Virus to Other Churches (The Independent)

Letter of Appeal from Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Regards to COVID-19 (Shincheonji Press Release)

'I Felt Betrayed': University Graduate on her Experience with Singapore Chapter of South Korea's Shincheonji Church (Channel News Asia)

Politicians' Extreme Measures on Shincheonji Face Criticism (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Nearly 80% Of S. Koreans Support Terminating Shincheonji's Incorporation (TBS FM News)

Stars Threaten Legal Action For Spreading Shincheonji Rumors (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Hackers Hack Shincheonji Website (The Korea Herald)

Shincheonji Cult Donates W12 Billion to Fight Coronavirus (The Korea Times)

Shincheonji Followers Account for 59.9% of S. Korea's Confirmed Coronavirus Cases (Hankyoreh)

Quote
There have been 22 clusters at hospitals in Daegu, with 18 of them triggered by Shincheonji followers. According to some analysts, nine out of 10 COVID-19 cases are linked to Shincheonji. "We've determined that about 93% of total cases around the country are connected with Shincheonji," one government official said. Jung, the KCDC director, responded to this estimate as follows: "Adding the cases of second- and third-generation transmission from [Shincheonji] believers would obviously cause [the percentage] to greatly increase, but we're not able to provide those figures yet."

Over 3,000 Shincheonji Members in Daegu Test Positive For Coronavirus (Hankyoreh)

Gov't Raids Shincheonji Headquarters to Secure List of Followers (The Korea Times)

QuoteThe KCDC said a joint investigation team consisting of health authority officials and forensic analysis specialists from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office conducted a search of the Shincheonji headquarters located in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, as municipalities have claimed that the lists of worshipers supplied by it were different from those each local government obtained from the church's branches.

This has raised suspicions that the church omitted information about some members when reporting to the government and municipalities.

Justice Minister, Chief Prosecutor at Odds Over Shincheonji Investigation (The Korea Times)

Shincheonji Victims Ask Moon to Investigate Religious Group (The Korea Herald)

Quote"I found out that my two daughters became Shincheonji followers and quit their jobs and dropped out of school," Kim Gui-ja, 54, said. "My daughters said life in this world is no longer important because the world will be reorganized among Shincheonji believers. They also said Lee Man-hee is God and believing him can lead to eternal life."

Members of South Korean Church Tied to Coronavirus Outbreak Being Persecuted, Leaders Say (New York Post)

South Korean Cult Church Blamed for COVID-19 Says Members are Being Persecuted & Killed (Christian Post)

Coronavirus Privacy: Are South Korea's Alerts Too Revealing? (BBC)

QuoteA man who contracted the virus along with his mother, wife and two children wrote an emotional, lengthy post on Facebook asking people to stop blaming them. "I didn't know my mother was a follower of Shincheonji [church]," he wrote. He went on to defend his wife, a nurse, who had been criticised for visiting so many places during her incubation period.

The husband said her job was to accompany people with physical disabilities to clinics for appointments, and she had no idea she had the virus.

Slouching toward Shincheonji - A Recap Of Past & Present Front Groups (Jon Dunbar for The Korea Times)

Official Investigation Launched into Shincheonji (Korea JoongAng Daily)

South Korean City Rejects Donation from Religious Group Linked to Virus Outbreak (CNN)

Shincheonji's W12b Donation Rejected (The Korea Herald)

Charity Group Returns Shincheonji's 12 Billion-won Donation (Yonhap News)

Shincheonji: Who Are They? What Do They Believe In? Why Problematic?
(Stella - Former SCJ Member - She has quite a few related videos)


Protestant Churches Ask Government to Investigate Shincheonji (The Korea Herald)

QuoteThe churches, however, did not blame the followers of Shincheonji. "COVID-19 is causing extreme hatred and social stigma against Shincheonji followers, which is not healthy. The majority of Shincheonji believers are not only the victims of this incident but also the victims of the religion which is a cult and fundamentally fake," the two church groups said.

A Man of Two Faces: Leader of South Korean Church Tied to Outbreak (Wall Street Journal - Paywall)

Retribution for S. Korea Church that Sparked Coronavirus Outbreak (Taiwan News)

1,777 Members of Shincheonji Cult Still Refusing to Turn Themselves in to Get Treatment for Coronavirus (All K-Pop)

Christians in China Warned of Foreign Cult Influence (Binge Post)

First Confirmed Employee With Corona at Daegu Hospital Hid His Identity as Shincheonji Member (Daily Naver)

More Than 1,500 Shincheonji Cult Members Who Tested Positive Refusing Treatment for Coronavirus (International Business Times)

Virus-Hit Apartment Under Isolation, Most Cases Linked to Shincheonji (The Korea Herald)

Shincheonji's W12 Billion Donation Snubbed (The Korea Times)

Virus-Hit Apartment Complex Under Lockdown, All Cases Linked to Religious Sect (Yonhap News)

QuoteThe apartment block, which consists of two five-story buildings, is run by the city for unmarried working women who are under 35 years old....

"A lot of the residents at the apartment were found to be relatively young Shincheonji followers. (The apartment) has been put under isolation on the possibility that additional cases may occur," KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook said.

How One Man's Epiphany On a Seoul Mountain in 1955 Laid the Foundation For Many Religious Sects in South Korea (CNN)

Appeal of Coronavirus-Hit Cult Raises Tough Questions for South Korea (Nikkei Asia Review)

They Seemed So Genuine How One Woman Fell Into The Trap Of Alleged Singapore Chapter Of Shincheonji (Salt & Light)

Wife of a Famous Celebrity Is a Shincheonji Cult Member (All K-Pop)

Daegu Hospital Worker Infected With Coronavirus Hid His Identity as a Shincheonji Cult Member (All K-Pop)

46 Infections Confirmed at Apartment Complex in Daegu (The Korea Herald)

Report Reveals That Famous Actress B & Chief Prosecutor Are Members of Shincheon-ji (Daily Naver)

Apartment Residents Shocked by Mass Infection, Hidden Shincheonji Members (Korea Biomedical Review)

What's not mentioned is really why so many SCJ members live together or near each other. The reason is so that they can be easily monitored by senior members, their activities controlled, and sleep deprivation maintained. And it's cheap - no air-conditioning. One story I heard from parents of former members is that young members are placed in group houses. They are allowed part time jobs, but their earnings are given to the cult, which in return provides just enough cash for basic necessities.


Shincheonji Faces Biggest Crisis Over Coronavirus Outbreak (The Korea Herald)

Entry Ban on Members of Shincheonji Church (Yonhap News)

Being Called a Cult Is One Thing, Being Blamed for an Epidemic Is Quite Another (The New York Times)

Shincheonji Follower Refuses to Enter Virus Treatment Center, Assaults Nurse (The Korea Times)

Who is Lee Man-hee? Jesus of South Korea, Shincheonji Founder Apologized on his Knees after Being Charged for Murder over Coronavirus Deaths (International Business Times)

Police Investigate Alleged Embezzlement by Shincheonji Leader (KBS World Radio)


'Proselytizing Robots': Inside South Korean Church at Outbreak's Center (New York Times)

Korean Christians Seek Action Against Virus-Spreading Sect (UCA News)

Coronavirus: USCIRF Decries South Korea for Blaming Shincheonji Church (Muslim Community Report)

Shincheonji Member Who Was Monitored for the Coronavirus Jumps to Her Death from 11th Floor Apartment, Police Investigating Her Case (All K-Pop)

Shincheonji Followers Kill Themselves Amid Public Criticism Intensifying (The Korea Times)

Shincheonji's Donation Made Without Prior Notice (The Korean Herald)

Daegu Mayor Denies Alleged Shincheonji Connection (The Korea Times)

Seoul Launches Tax Audit on Real Estate Owned by Shincheonji Religious Sect (Hanyoreh)

The Chilling Secret Behind How "Shincheonji Cult" Recruits Young Women to Join Their Church (Korea Boo)

Yoo Jae Suk Personally Responds to Rumors He's A Member of Shincheonji (All K-Pop)

More Than 90 Infections Linked to Seoul Call Center, Numbers Feared to Rise (Yonhap News)

QuoteThe health ministry, meanwhile, said that five of the 207 workers were found to be followers of Shincheonji, which is associated with more than 60 percent of South Korea's total infections.

All five have so far tested negative, but the government plans to look into the case for additional infections. The city government also said it will probe for any possible links to the religious sect.

South Korea: What We're Doing to Fight the Coronavirus (The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea)

Quote"Being Called a Cult Is One Thing, Being Blamed for an Epidemic Is Quite Another," by Raphael Rashid (Op-Ed, nytimes.com, March 9), which describes the Shincheonji Church of Jesus as being scapegoated in South Korea for political purposes, is misleading.

"Shincheonji Cult" Reportedly Makes Delusional Claims About Park Seo Joon And Park Bo Gum

QuoteFurthermore, the believers reportedly make remarks to each other such as "I'm going to rule over Spain", "I'm going to rule over France", and "I'm going to rule over Busan".

(K-Pop Hit)

Call Center Infections Grow to 93 (Korea JoongAng Daily)

QuoteHealth officials still don't know how the virus penetrated the Sindorim call center. At least five Shincheonji adherents work there, but they've all tested negative, said officials. Seoul Mayor Park, however, didn't rule out the possibility that the Christian sect was the source of the infections, saying Wednesday that a list of Shincheonji adherents in Seoul, which his office received from the church, was not believed to be the full list, implying that the church omitted some worshippers on purpose.

Coronavirus Housing Cluster Highlights Secretive South Korea Sect (Raw Story)


How Two Korean Cults Measure Up Against Covid-19 (The Economist - Paywall)

Thousands of Sect Followers Released from Self-Quarantine (Chosun Ilbo)

God's People & Shincheonji (Sister Kim Ae-ran for The Korea Times)

Shincheonji Workers at Nursing Homes Tested; No New COVID-19 Cases Found So Far (The Korea Herald)

Shincheonji & Coronavirus: The Mysterious 'Cult' Church Blamed For S Korea's Outbreak (BBC - 5-Minute Video)

S. Korea Launches Fresh Anti-Epidemic Fight Against Shincheonji Followers (Aju Business Daily)

Shincheonji Replaces Foundation Ceremony With Online Service (The Korea Herald)

Explained: Why a Sect in South Korea is Under Scanner for COVID-19 Spread (Indian Express)


Shincheonji's Appeal to Young S. Koreans (Hankyoreh)

What We Can All Learn From South Korea's 'Super Spreader' of Coronavirus, Patient 31 (Mamamia)


Shincheonji Cult Leader Write Letters Asking Members Under Coronavirus Suspicions Not to Lose Faith (All K-Pop)

How A Religious Cult in Korea Spread COVID-19 (The Nib - Comic Strip)

'Shincheonji Didn't Lie About Membership Figures' (The Korea Herald)

Ex-Shincheon-ji Members Reveal Shocking Testimony on MBC's 'PD Note' (Daily Naver)


What Is The Shincheonji Church of Jesus & Who Are Its Members & What Are its Links to The Coronavirus? (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Personal Reflection after Encounters with Shincheonji: I Was Depressed for Half a Year (China Christian Daily)

QuoteAt a Sunday service, I met two of the six sisters, and one of them recognized me and sat down beside me. While the pastor gave the sermon, she was giving me her own ideas. I found that she was sharing the same doctrine as Shincheonj. I took a closer look at the entire gathering and found that it seemed to have been "invaded" by members of Shincheonj. They sat scattered in different corners of the church, each spreading their ideas to the people around them.

Former Shincheonji Members Make Shocking Confessions About the Cult on 'PD Note' (All K-Pop)

QuoteKim Jong Chul, a former member who worked in the administration of the scouting department, caused the most shock of all when he stated that they have crazy guidelines when members get caught, "If someone touches you, just fall or jump out of a window, hurt yourself..."

Note: Former member Stella described in this BBC report jumping out of a fifth floor window.

Beijing Pastor's Fight for Truth with Sect Shincheonji (China Christian Daily)

'It Was Very Painful': Teen Survivor of COVID-19 Shares Her Story (The Korea Times)

QuoteKim said it started after speaking with a follower of Shincheonji, a shadowy religious sect responsible for much of the virus spread in Korea, near a subway station on Feb. 20. The Shincheonji member tried to make conversation with Kim, who briefly responded after taking off her mask. It later turned out that the person had been infected with the virus. On March 4, Kim tested positive for COVID-19.

Shincheonji Members Working at Call Center Might Need Antibody Testing (Korea Biomedical Review)


It Was Like My Intestines Were Being Ripped Out' Says South Korean High-Schooler Infected by Shincheonji Follower (SCMP)

Coronavirus Spike in S Korea: Role of Shincheonji Sect (Daily Pioneer)


COVID-19 Cases Related to Shincheonji Church South Korea 2020 (Statistica)

Cracking Covid-19: The Shincheonji Church's Role in the Outbreak in Korea (Joongang Daily Video)



Psy Refuses to Comment on his Father-in-law's Alleged Involvement with Shincheonji Cult (All K-Pop)

Korean Sect Leader Facing Coronavirus Backlash Had Balkan Operations (Balkan Insight)


Seoul Seeks 200 Million Won in Compensation From Shincheonji


Seoul City Cancels Shincheonji Permit, Blames Religious Sect For Virus (The Korea Herald)

Rebuilding Their Young Lives After Shincheonji: Former Members Talk About The Secretive Sect & How They Escaped (Korea JoongAng Daily)

China Bans Shincheonji Church, Warning People to Stay away from Cults (China Christian Daily)


COVID-19: South Koreans Wary of Religious Cult Shincheonji (Channel news Asia)


Young Women Are Easy Prey for Shincheonji (The Korea Times)

April 18: Lee Seung Kwang of old-school group Goofy, now a suspected Shincheonji cult member, sparks controversy after referring to people who voted for Democratic Party as "dogs and pigs" (All K-Pop)

April 27: Korean Cult Shincheonji Uses Online Courses to "Steal Sheep" (China Christian Daily)

April 27: Shincheonji 'Superspreader' Released from Hospital (Choseon Ilbo)

May 22: Prosecutors Raid Branches of Religious Group at Center of Coronavirus Outbreak (The Korea Times)

May 29: Jilin CC&TSPM Prints Anti-Cult Poster (China Christian Daily)

June 23: Daegu Files Damage Suit Against Shincheonji for Mass Coronavirus Infections (The Korea Times)

June 23: South Korea Sues Religious Sect Over COVID Spread as it Grapples With 2nd Wave (CBS News)

July 1: How I Escaped My 'Cult' in Lockdown (The Telegraph)

July 8: Three Shincheonji Officials Arrested for Hindering Virus Control Measures (Yonhap News)


Shincheonji Leader Questioned for 4 Hours on Alleged Disruption of Quarantine Efforts (KBS World Radio)

Shincheonji Founder Questioned for Allegedly Disrupting Anti-Virus Efforts (The Korea Times)

South Korean Prosecutors Question Church Leader Accused of Hampering Coronavirus Recovery (Fox News)

July 18: Coronavirus: Leader of Shincheonji Church Questioned by South Korean Prosecutors (SCMP)

July 30: Thepersecuted.org Breaks News of Religious Leader Arrests (Shincheonji Press Release)


Court to Review Arrest Warrant For Shincheonji Founder Over Allegedly Disrupting Anti-Virus Efforts (Yonhap News)

Arrest Warrant Hearing Starts for Shincheonji Leader (The Korea Herald)

Court Convenes Hearing on Arrest Warrant for Shincheonji Founder (KBS World Radio)

Shincheonji Joins Resistance Against Prosecution Reform: Justice Minister (The Korea Herald)

Shincheonji Leader Arrested on Charges of Obstructing Anti-Virus Response (Yonhap News)

Shincheonji Leader Arrested on Charges of Obstructing Virus Containment (KBS World Radio)

South Korea Sect Leader Arrested Over Coronavirus Outbreak (Reuters)

South Korean Sect Leader Arrested For Obstructing Covid-19 Investigation (The Guardian)

South Korea Arrests Shincheonji Church Leader for Stalling Virus Containment Efforts (South China Morning Post)

Coronavirus: South Korean Shincheonji Sect Leader Arrested (BBC)


Shincheonji Church Leader Jailed on Obstruction Charges (Korean JoongAng Daily)


Shincheonji Leader Arrested For Obstructing Disease Control Efforts (Hankyoreh)


Can Unpopular Sect Expect Justice? (The Korea Times)


Court Rejects Shincheonji Leader's Request to Cancel Arrest (The Korea Herald)


South Korea's COVID-19 Church Scapegoat Is Fighting Back (Foreign Diplomacy)


Conservative Church Claims South Korea's Government is Persecuting Them by Blaming Members for Coronavirus Spread (Fox News)