Monkey‑Business in Seoul: The Devil’s Deed, the Devil’s Church & a Dreadful Disease
It was a bright Friday (Feb 21) in Seoul, and the Big Bad Covid‑19 strike felt nothing short of a biblical showdown.
“It’s the Devil’s Deed!” The Prophetic Leader Takes the Mic
Lee Man‑hee, the self‑declared prophet and founder of the Shimcheonji Church back in 1984, had a word to say. “The pandemic is the devil’s sabotage to halt our growth,” he declared on the church’s secret internal app.
He linked it to Job’s trials, writing, “Just like Job, we’re being tested. He’s laying monsters on our path just to destroy our progress.”
These messages were snatched up by Yonhap and sent straight into the public eye.
Numbers That Sit on the Edge of Panic
On that Friday, South Korea added 52 new cases, bringing the total up to 156. Most of those were in Daegu, the country’s fourth‑largest city with 2.5 million people.
At least 111 of the cases were in or around Daegu. The flame was started by a 61‑year‑old woman, “Patient 31,” who knew the church by heart and went to a local branch.
The situation was so fierce that the mayor of Daegu, Kwon Young‑jin, said more than 400 church members were showing symptoms and the tests were still underway. Seoul officials began shutting down the church branches over there.
Ruthless Guts and a Real‑Life Funeral
President Moon Jae‑in called for a deep investigation into church services and a funeral held at a hospital in Cheongdo County. That funeral turned into another cluster of cases.
Not to mention that the same hospital was home to South Korea’s very first Covid‑19 death. The exact cause was under investigation, but it felt as if the white coat was a crime scene.
Moon demanded a thorough look into the church and the funeral attendees: “We need a thorough investigation on the church and the funeral attendees.”
Keep Calm & Follow the Rules—Lee Says
Lee asked his followers to follow government instructions and avoid meetings. “The virus has turned the believers into victims,” he warned. “Let’s overcome this trial!”
Containment: Military‑Grade & Heavy‑Handed
The health authorities called this a “super‑spreading event.” The government set up two special care zones and isolated troops to their bases.
Military medical staff were brought in. Temporary isolation facilities were tacked up.
Daegu’s streets, malls, and restaurants were eerily empty. Kwon called it an “unprecedented crisis.” He prohibited all mass gatherings and urged residents to stay home.
Seoul’s Stubborn Stalling
Seoul officials made it clear the weekend marches and demonstrations would be damned. In a hilarious twist, after a few soldiers tested positive on Thursday, the defence minister banned soldiers from taking leave or visiting barracks—only a few exceptions for family emergencies or when service ended.
There are still many unknowns about this virus. Some cases are being treated for pneumonia, and the excitement over a quick recovery dies with the knowledge that we’re still scrambling to get the facts straight.
Be sure you’re following the updates, stay safe, and remember the pandemic’s message: keep your distance, not your sanity.
