Yeouido Full Gospel Church
The government is urging local religious groups to halt regular services and gatherings as the country is struggling to contain mass outbreaks of the novel coronavirus.
In an emergency appeal on Friday, Culture Minister Park Yang-woo stressed this weekend and next are expected to be critical points in containing the spread of COVID-19 and preventing a prolonged outbreak situation.
The plea came as many big churches, particularly in Seoul, remain reluctant to suspend their Sunday services despite the risks.
Yeouido Full Gospel Church, the biggest Protestant church in South Korea with some 560,000 followers, said it will hold Sunday service, but with fewer sessions.
Other mega-sized churches, including Kwanglim Methodist Church and Sarang Community Church in southern Seoul, which have 80,000 and 90,000 members, respectively, have not yet announced their plans.
However, Myungsung Church, one of the biggest Presbyterian churches in the world, has closed its facilities and suspended all services and meetings after a pastor and a member were confirmed to be infected with the virus.
Somang Presbyterian Church, located in the south of the capital, also decided to suspend all public gathering after one of its members contracted the disease.
The National Council of Churches in Korea and others have called on leading churches to do their part to stem the spread of the new virus, recommending they use online platforms to conduct services and prayer meetings for worshipers.■
<Photo: Yonhap News>
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