Aju Business Daily

SEOUL -- Lee Man-hee, the founder and deified leader of a doomsday religious organization blamed for causing a spike in South Korea's coronavirus infections, was found to be carrying no virus in a test conducted at an undisclosed place over the weekend.

Lee, born in 1931, has tested negative for the virus, which has killed 22 people and left more than 4,200 infected as of early Monday, Deputy Heal and Welfare Minister Kim Kang-rip told a regular press briefing. "I heard that Shincheonji leader Lee Man-hee tested negative," Kim said, refusing to disclose location and other details.

Shincheonji has been the target of public fury since a 61-year-old follower was guaranteed on February 17 after attending services at its branch in the southeastern city of Daegu. Some 60 percent of confirmed cases detected in recent days were, directly and indirectly, related to the religious group.

Shincheonji has kept Lee's personal life, family background and location under wraps despite eyewitness evidence that he is living in Cheongpyong, a riverside resort town east of Seoul, which is well known for the holy ground of Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church. Lee's riverside residence has been regarded by followers as a sacred place.

Along with Lee's virus test, Shincheonji issued a statement on Sunday urging political leaders not to treat it as a criminal group after the Seoul city government filed a complaint with state prosecutors against Shincheonji leaders on charges of homicide, an infliction of injuries and violation of a quarantine law.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon called for an investigation into Shincheonji leaders for hampering an anti-epidemic campaign by dragging their feet in presenting a correct list of members. "We must investigate them forcibly so that we can deal with the infectious disease as soon as possible. If they had taken active measures, they could have prevented a large number of people from dying or getting hurt," Park said in a Facebook post.

In a pressing briefing on Monday, Park warned that South Korea could face an uncontrollable situation unless health authorities contain the spread of the epidemic in early March. "We could face a more serious crisis of out-of-control if we fail to control the spread in early March," Park said, suggesting the entire country should go into "a two-week pause" to stop face-to-face contact.