Korea Arrests Leader of Sect at Center of Early Virus Outbreak
Lee Man-hee during a press conference at a facility of the church in Gapyeong on March 2.
Photographer: -/AFP via Getty Images
South Korean authorities arrested the leader of a religious sect at the center of an early coronavirus outbreak in the country, alleging the church hindered government efforts to trace worshipers who may have been infected, Yonhap News reported.
The Suwon District Court issued an arrest warrant for Lee Man-hee, the 88-year-old leader of the Shincheonji sect, according to the news agency. Prosecutors requested the warrant after questioning Lee and suspected he submitted false documents on the sect’s gatherings to health authorities to avoid extensive quarantines. Lee is also facing an embezzlement charge, Yonhap reported.