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It's the secretive South Korean cult whose leader claims to be Jesus Christ's envoy on earth and whose coronavirus-infected followers have incubated more than half the country's 4330-plus known cases.
The mysterious Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which has hundreds of Australian devotees, is led by 88-year-old Lee Man-hee.
The elderly cult leader is being accused of murder after the exploding coronavirus outbreak in South Korea has registered the largest cluster of infections among his followers.
As the number of confirmed cases doubled in just one day, the majority of them have been linked to a single Shincheonji worshipper known as Patient 31.
Army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in front of a branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu, South Korea. Photo / AP
Patient 31 is a 61-year-old woman, who recently attended at least four services at the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony in Daegu, a city 240km southwest of the capital Seoul.
The woman then fell ill and tested positive for coronavirus and now 60 per cent of South Korea's cases are linked to the cult.
Just last weekend, 239 new coronavirus patients were discovered.
Daegu, South Korea's fourth-largest city, has now been placed into lockdown, its 2.5m residents told to stay indoors as heavily suited and masked workers disinfect the streets.
Shincheonji followers believe their leader Lee Man-hee is "immortal", but after being threatened with murder charges the cult leader has been forced to come out in public.
Wearing a grey suit and a face mask, his hair perfectly dyed jet black, Lee got down on his knees at a hastily arranged press conference and offered his "deep apology".
Lee Man-hee, a leader of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, attends a press conference in Gapyeong, South Korea. Photo / AP
At Gapyeong in the country's north and 240km from his cult's infection epicentre however, Lee blamed "the evil who got jealous of Shincheonji's rapid growth" for the coronavirus spread.
He defended his worshippers and denied accusations against him.
Lee claims to be a descendant of ancient Korean kings, "the angel" sent by Jesus to save mankind and the sole being on earth able to interpret secret codes hidden in the Bible's Book of Revelation.
Lee Man-hee, leader of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, bows during a press conference in Gapyeong, South Korea. Photo / AP
South Korean officials are blaming Lee for failing to provide a full list of his followers to the government.
As coronavirus has spread, health officials are trying to track down more than 266,000 members as they have remained in hiding fearing arrest or exposure.
Seoul has been asked to prosecute Lee with criminal charges including "murder through wilful negligence".
Lee was remorseful so many coronavirus cases had been linked to Shincheonji, but insisted his church had co-operated with authorities.
Officials have warned the coronavirus outbreak will continue to gallop ahead, and more than 1000 Shincheonji Church of Jesus followers who attended services in Daegu have reported symptoms.
Known as SCJ, it has up to 300,000 followers in South Korea and has its own calendar, dating from 1984 when Lee, who was born in 1931 to a poor farming family near Daegu, founded the church.
Critics have compared Lee's massive outdoor events before rapt fans to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's propaganda rallies, and say Lee uses Jesus as "a front" for what is really worship of him.
Lee hosts his own Olympiad with military-style guards where followers dress in the same colour waving his trademark folding fan.
Government official wearing face masks makes a phone call to the members of Shincheonji Church of Jesus to check if they have symptoms of coronavirus. Photo / AP
He arrives in a limousine, is greeted effusively and bangs a large gong while heralds blow trumpets and he salutes the adoring crowds.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, Seoul has banned his mass events and Shincheonji followers have been subject to taunting and online abuse.
SCJ encourages devotees to believe the Book of Revelations' prediction that the opening of a book secured by seven seals will trigger "the Apocalypse" and the second coming of Christ.
The Apocalypse refers to the prophesied complete and final destruction of the world.
Lee may have been referring to this when he said, cryptically, at his Gapyeong press conference: "When night passes, dawn will arrive."
When journalists began raining questions down upon him and others hurled insults from the sidelines, Lee's acolytes ushered the old man out as he shouted "Be quiet. Order!"
