<Anchor>



Sarang First Church, which was ordered to close the facility by ignoring quarantine rules and conducting face-to-face worship, went out to Gwanghwamun Square today (22nd).

Worship was held in the plaza area, but the location was different, but the number of hundreds of people gathered in one place was the same.



Reporter Park Chan-geun reports.



<Reporter>



Sarang Jeil Church, which received an order to close the facilities while gathering at the church for worship despite the 4th stage of social distancing, where face-to-face worship is prohibited.



Today, only the donation box was put out and the church members were sent back.



[Odalgyo/Cultural Planning Team Manager, Seongbuk-gu Office, Seoul: There is no sign of access or anything like that to the worship facility today, and it seems that they are keeping (the closing order) well.]



Instead, the members of the church flocked to the square.




[Police: Please stop the forbidden outdoor worship and go home.]



Sarang First Church has announced in advance that we will gather around Gwanghwamun Square and Seoul Station to worship while watching Pastor Kwang-Hoon Jeon's YouTube channel.



[Sarang First Church member: Talk to me. Is this really going to happen, the closure of the church? Church is the safest. Keep your distance.]



Hundreds of church members who have gathered since about 10 am shouted or sang hymns to the sermons of the former pastor.



Members of the church who did not wear masks properly throughout the service were often seen, and some even got into fights with the controlling police.



Due to the quarantine rules, in step 4 of distancing, gatherings and events where two or more people gather, as well as worship services other than regular worship are prohibited, so today's worship may be in violation of the Infectious Disease Prevention Act.



While the police and the Seoul Metropolitan Government are reviewing whether the organizers are violating the law, the church said it would hold outdoor worship next week.



(Video coverage: Kim Hak-mo, Hong Jong-su, video editing: Jung Yong-hwa, screen source: YouTube You Know TV)