42 Shincheonji followers came to S. Korea from virus-hit Wuhan over 8 months: gov't
SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Saturday that 42 followers of a minor Christian sect are presumed to have entered the country from Wuhan, the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak, over the past eight months.
The Ministry of Justice said it has checked immigration records of around 245,000 Shincheonji followers at the request of health authorities as the bulk of infections are linked to a church of the fringe sect in the southeastern city of Daegu.
Of the total Shincheonji followers, around 3,600 believers came from China between July 1, 2019, and Feb. 27, 2020, the ministry said. Among them, 42 worshipers traveled from the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
The government said out of the 42, one is a foreign follower and the remainder are domestic believers who have a record of visiting the capital of Hubei province.
The ministry said the preliminary tally is subject to changes, depending on its further probe.
South Korea is conducting tests on all Shincheonji followers for COVID-19 as a cluster of infections are tied to the church. The country had reported 3,150 cases of the new virus as of Saturday afternoon and 17 deaths.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
-
S. Korea marks 30th anniv. of Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale with contemporary art
-
Artist Lee Bae captures ethereal Korean aesthetics at Venice Biennale
-
Ateez member Yunho throws first pitch at MLB match between Dodgers, Mets
-
Gov't likely to accept university chiefs' request to lower med school enrollment quota
-
S. Korea supports resolution backing U.N. membership of Palestine
-
Artist Lee Bae captures ethereal Korean aesthetics at Venice Biennale
-
S. Korea marks 30th anniv. of Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale with contemporary art
-
Gov't likely to accept university chiefs' request to lower med school enrollment quota
-
Experts see possibility of N.K. conducting nuclear test before U.S. presidential vote
-
Details of meeting between Yoon, opposition leader undecided: presidential office
-
U.S. will take steps for three-way engagement on nuclear deterrence with S. Korea, Japan: Campbell
-
(LEAD) Hybe to file complaint against sublabel executives over internal conflict
-
S. Korea reports highest suicide rate, ultra fine dust level among OECD nations: data
-
Looming weekly closure of major hospitals feared to worsen medical service crisis
-
U.S. sent ATACMS missiles to Ukraine following Russia's use of N.K. missiles: White House