News South Korea seeks coronavirus murder charges, over 3,000 dead worldwide (1 Viewer)

[Ahsoka]

Spoiler

South Korea sought murder charges against leaders of a secretive church at the heart of its ballooning coronavirus outbreak on Monday as the global death toll rose above 3,000 and the Chinese province at the epicentre reported a fall in new cases.


World stock markets regained some calm as hopes for global interest rate cuts to soften the economic blow of the virus steadied nerves after last week’s worst plunge since the 2008 financial crisis.

The global death toll was up to 3,044, according to a Reuters tally.

In the largest outbreak outside China, South Korea has had 26 deaths and reported another 599 infections on Monday, taking its tally to 4,335 following Saturday’s biggest daily jump.

Of the new cases in South Korea, 377 were from the city of Daegu, home to a branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, to which most of South Korea’s cases have been traced after some members visited China’s Wuhan city where the disease emerged.

The Seoul government asked prosecutors to launch a murder investigation into leaders of the church, a movement that reveres founder Lee Man-hee. Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said that if Lee and other heads of the church had cooperated, preventive measures could have stopped fatalities.

“The situation is this serious and urgent, but where are the leaders of the Shincheonji, including Lee Man-hee, the chief director of this crisis?” Park said on Facebook late on Sunday.

Seoul’s city government said it had filed a criminal complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, asking for an investigation of Lee and 12 others on charges of murder and disease control act violations.

Lee knelt and apologised to the country on Monday that one church member had infected many others, calling the epidemic a “great calamity”. “We did our best but were not able to stop the spread of the virus,” Lee told reporters.

It was not immediately known how many of South Korea’s dead were directly connected to the church.

There's more but it's not related to South Korea, it's just general info.

Coronavirus spreading fast outside China, airports to increase screenings

The new coronavirus appears to now be spreading much more rapidly outside China than within, and airports in hard-hit countries were ramping up screening of travelers.

reuters.com

I don't know how to feel about this. Firstly I'm wondering if it was a mistranslation because this would seem to be more manslaughter than murder, but that's nitpicking. I do see the reasoning behind it and I do think it sets a good example for others in the future, negligence like this lead to the death of many people. On the other hand I'm wondering if this would be a thing had it been a common religous church rather than one that already had negative connotations involved. Maybe the specific sect was part of the reason this happened but from what I heard it doesn't seem to be the case.

Thoughts?

 

[wayvoutsold]

I see how much of a problem it is, but I am not sure how it could be grounds for murder.

 

[MinSquishy]

*sighs*

 

[Ahsoka]

I see how much of a problem it is, but I am not sure how it could be grounds for murder.

Yeah same, maybe it's just the translation and it's in reality slightly different.

 

[wayvoutsold]

Yeah same, maybe it's just the translation and it's in reality slightly different.

It is most likely manslaughter

 

[yeji]

I think translations may be messed up

 

[DrowningFishy]

I can kinda see some charges if the religious leaders knew something was spreading and did nothing. Or worse helped infected leave infected areas. Maybe because i grew up in a cult I can see how the leaders would do something stupid to benefit their faith. Denial and arrogance leads to the craziest of actions. If this happened to the church I was in they'd smuggle the sick with the unsick and say it was government plan to derail gods work.

 

[DrowningFishy]

HEre this is clearer why he is getting charged. Typical cult behavior

He Blames ‘Evil’ for South Korea’s Coronavirus Surge. Officials Blame Him. (Published 2020)

Lee Man-hee, the founder of the Shincheonji church, which has been at the center of the outbreak in South Korea, is trying to defend his group while denying the accusations against it.

www.nytimes.com

Coronavirus: South Korea sect leader to face probe over deaths

Lee Man-hee, 88, is accused of hampering efforts to contain the virus.

www.bbc.com

 

[Abeamus]

The murder part isn't a mistranslation, they are supposed to have spreaded the disease knowingly because they didn't want to be the only church infected which i'd say is grounds enough for murder

 

[Ahsoka]

The murder part isn't a mistranslation, they are supposed to have spreaded the disease knowingly because they didn't want to be the only church infected which i'd say is grounds enough for murder

These are actual human beings? With empathy and emotions?

 

[Jimimis]

didnt they do it on purpose or smth?

 

[Ahsoka]

didnt they do it on purpose or smth?

It seems like that might be the case yeah

 

[Abeamus]

These are actual human beings? With empathy and emotions?

Human beings yeah but with empathy and emotions remains to be seen

 

[RandAlThor]

Unless the Tencent numbers are correct (ie 15% + mortality rate) the rate of fear mongering over this version of the flu is just crazy.
Its a cold that targets the at risk like all other colds and the killer is pneumonia like the flu ect as i understand it

CDC's numbers for the flu in the US...

Estimated US Flu Disease Burden

CDC estimates the burden of flu in the US each season to understand its impact on the population

www.cdc.gov

death at least an order of magnitude greater than the global death of the shinny new bug.

no insane global panic
stock market crash ect.

 

[Ahsoka]

Unless the Tencent numbers are correct (ie 15% + mortality rate) the rate of fear mongering over this version of the flu is just crazy.
Its a cold that targets the at risk like all other colds and the killer is pneumonia like the flu ect as i understand it

I think the main issue is that it's new so we aren't as well equipped to handle it. Also mortality rate isn't everything, SARS had a higher mortality rate but less deaths because fewer people were infected. And all this is considering how careful countries are when it comes to battling this, if someone just has a flu a lot of times they decide that it's okay to go to work, school, ect but with coronavirus they tend to be careful to not pass it on. If these precautions weren't taken I'm sure there would be many more deaths.

 

[RandAlThor]

I think the main issue is that it's new so we aren't as well equipped to handle it. Also mortality rate isn't everything, SARS had a higher mortality rate but less deaths because fewer people were infected. And all this is considering how careful countries are when it comes to battling this, if someone just has a flu a lot of times they decide that it's okay to go to work, school, ect but with coronavirus they tend to be careful to not pass it on. If these precautions weren't taken I'm sure there would be many more deaths.

I think even still it not a level 4 crazy bug like say ebola that kills healthy people. It is for sure not the Spanish flu or the plague.
even in Korea with this church where some say people were trying to catch it there is 28 atm out of 4-7k (the numbers bounce) identified.
Normal behavior will suffice for most.
Nursing homes like the one in Washington/ hospitals those are the places where extra care needs to be taken.

Over the weekend i spoke with many of my friends who are ICU peeds nurses ect there is no ramp up no extra care ect.
if this is a bio weapon/ or extra dangerous it is only useful if no immunity is developed.

 

[Ahsoka]

I think even still it not a level 4 crazy bug like say ebola that kills healthy people. It is for sure not the Spanish flu or the plague.
even in Korea with this church where some say people were trying to catch it there is 28 atm out of 4-7k (the numbers bounce) identified.
Normal behavior will suffice for most.
Nursing homes like the one in Washington/ hospitals those are the places where extra care needs to be taken.

Over the weekend i spoke with many of my friends who are ICU peeds nurses ect there is no ramp up no extra care ect.
if this is a bio weapon/ or extra dangerous it is only useful if no immunity is developed.

Where do you live?

 

[RandAlThor]

Where do you live?

United states

the bug is here with a 2-3 week incubation period and some infected never showing signs its silly to think its not.

on the up side its super easy to get permission to work from home atm :)

 

[Ahsoka]

United states

the bug is here with a 2-3 week incubation period and some infected never showing signs its silly to think its not.

on the up side its super easy to get permission to work from home atm :)

Wish that worked for uni also

 

[DrowningFishy]

United states

the bug is here with a 2-3 week incubation period and some infected never showing signs its silly to think its not.

on the up side its super easy to get permission to work from home atm :)

My work says if we can prove we are getting quarantined because of work they'd pay for the how many other days off. I don't know if this is them being generous or my work place being cocky bstrds as usual. I think all security at health care, airport, or where foreign travel is common would enjoy more safetey measures in place rather then risking it.... And no we're not allowed more then 3 days off without a doctors note even if sheet hits the fan.