At least 231 of the country's 433 confirmed cases are associated with the Shincheonji religious group, according to South Korea's Centers for Disease Control & Prevention .
The Shincheonji is centered around the personality of its founder and chairman, Lee Man-hee. On a website believed to be the group's official homepage, the group heavily suggests that Lee is the"Promised Pastor" mentioned in the Bible. The passage it highlights suggests that the Promised Pastor is the second coming of Jesus Christ.
The group said it"deeply regrets" the outbreak which occurred in their Daegu branch, in a statement released online Friday. It added that it had to hold services on the floor to"maximize the number of occupants in our small space -- which was due to Shincheonji not being allowed our rightful building permit."The group has previously been described as a cult. John Everard, a former British diplomat and Korea expert, told CNN:"There are all sorts of cults in South Korea. They [Shincheonji members] are generally regarded as not particularly malign.
The first patient tested positive for the virus after their death, according to the KCDC on Thursday. On Friday, KCDC director Jung said the victim had a chronic lung disease and had been hospitalized for a long period of time.
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