Coronavirus hotspots: anger in South Korea as fringe church schools drop masks, put faith in God

One unauthorised Christian school in Gwangju was the source of over 100 new Covid-19 infections, with protesters pelting its building with eggs

Fringe Protestant groups have been linked to major outbreaks, including the controversial Shincheonji church in February last year

Reading Time:4 minutes

Children in protective clothes who have tested positive for Covid-19 at TCS International School in Gwangju are led onto a bus to travel to medical facilities for treatment. Photo: kjdaily.com for SCMP

Published: 7:00am, 29 Jan 2021Updated: 3:39pm, 29 Jan 2021

Wearing thick winter coats and sitting close together on the floor, about 20 children without face masks sway back and forth, chanting prayers at the top of their voices. Elsewhere, maskless teenagers dance, jumping up and down and clapping their hands.

The scenes broadcast on South Korean television show TCS International School in the southern city of Gwangju, where most of its 235 pupils and teachers have since tested positive for Covid-19.

The school contributed over 109 cases to the country’s 559 new infections on Wednesday and another 15 to the 497 new cases on Thursday. By Friday, cases linked to seven Christian schools nationwide had reached 344. South Korea now has a national total of 77,395 cases.

“Yes, this [surveillance camera footage] was from the dorm last month. It was our fault for failing to wear masks,” a school manager told JTBC TV news.

The school is one of over 30 unauthorised boarding schools operated by English teacher-turned evangelist Michael Cho, which mix religious instruction with preparation to study abroad.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x