After the illegal political assemblies in Seoul on National Liberation Day, August 15, several of the organizers tested positive for sars-cov2 infection. The mass gatherings resulted in a resurgence of the corona virus throughout South Korea. There are over a thousand confirmed cases of sars-cov2 among members of the Love First Church. Despite the church's efforts to thwart public authorities ability to track their members movements, at least 399 members were confirmed to have been present at the Gwanghwamun demonstrations on August 15. The leader of this church, the demagogue Jeon Gwang-hun, has also tested positive. His attendance at the public assembly was a violation of his terms of probation. He also violated the public assembly restrictions imposed by the city of Seoul as an emergency public health measure. Jeon violated a 14 day quaratine period when members of his congregation with whom he had contact were tested positive for the virus in the period immediately before the August 15 assembly. Jeon's church allegedly concealed membership and advised members on ways to avoid public health investigations, also unlawful in South Korea. Jeon was hospitalized temporarily after August 15, and has attended public press conferences since. The question on everyone's mind is why is this individual who is threat to the public health and safety of South Korea not back in jail where he belongs?
Instead he and his right wing allies in other extremist groups have planned more demonstrations on October 3, again in downtown Seoul, in violation of the city's emergency prohibition of public gatherings of more than ten people. Before the August 15 demostration, lawyers for these groups, obtained judicial permission for public assembly despite city health measures prohibiting them. The lawyers obtained approval by representing that not more than 100 persons were expected to attend. This was a fraud on the court. To date there are no reports of any sanctions being taken against the lawyers or petitioners who committed this fraud. There is widespread public criticism of the judge who let Jeon Gwang-hun out on bail pending trial. Also the judge who permitted the demonstations to go forward in mid August has been pilloried in public media. There are calls for impeachment of both.
The scheduled unlawful demonstration for October 3, National Foundation Day, is a demonstration calling for the release of former Park Geun-hye from prison, and the impeachment of current president Moon Jae-in. It is clear that the intent of the far right is to continue the effort to undermine the Moon administration by spreading the sars-cov2 epidemic throughout South Korea.
Recently, a South Korean judge ruled in response to petitions filed by churches to overturn the current emergency measure prohibiting in person attendance at church worship services, that current government restrictions did not improperly interfere with freedom of religion. In light of the current sars-cov2 situation, and the widespread familiarity among many church members with remote attendance of religious services possible online, the temporary interest in public health outweighed the concern for the right to religious freedom. This decision, the public uproar with the August 15 unlawful assembly, and the associated resurgence of the corona virus that demonstration aggravated, renders unlikely the possibility that applications to overturn the city prohibition on public assemblies will be approved again.
The August 15 demonstrations were estimated as being about 20,000 persons in size. As many as 35,000 persons might be expected at the October 3 National Foundation Day demonstration. While large enough to generate another public health crisis for the current administration, assemblies of this size are small by Seoul standards accustomed to crowds of hundreds of thousands. The relative small size of the August 15 demonstrations indicates the relative lack of public support for public health violations in the midst of an epidemic. The lack of public support for conservatives in South Korea is why they lost the general elections on April 15. None of their extremist unorthodox tactics have succeeded in restoring their lack of public credibility. Consequently, very few United Future Party conservative politicians have openly supported the demonstrations during the pandemic.
Jeon portrays himself as a religious martyr, with a sacred vision. As such, he says, he is indifferent to the voluminous public criticism of his crusade to rid South Korea of President Moon Jae-in. He suggests that his actions will be viewed favorably in the history books and in heaven, even thousands of years from now. Clearly, he is a megalomaniac. He will be remembered in the same way that the traitors of Eulsa are remembered.
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