Lee Man-hee, the founder and leader of a messianic Christian church at the center of South Korea’s explosive outbreak, refused to be tested for the new coronavirus after claiming he was negative at a public appearance Monday afternoon.

A string of infections spread through the church helmed by Lee -- who claims he is the second coming of Jesus Christ -- in less than two weeks since the first case emerged in mid-February. As of Monday, 57 percent of over 4,300 confirmed cases in Korea are linked to the church’s branch in Daegu.

The press conference, initially planned to take place at the basement hall of a church building in Gapyeong, a county in Gyeonggi Province, was relocated by the provincial government office due to safety concerns.

While the church officials said Monday morning that Lee tested negative for the virus, the county’s health department told The Korea Herald that it could not confirm whether Lee had been tested.

Gyeonggi Province communications officer Park Hyun-su told The Korea Herald that although the local government notified Lee in advance he would be tested on site at the press event, he refused to have his sample collected.

“Lee had undergone the virus test through private means that were not verified by public health agencies,” he said. “The hospital where the church said he was tested is not among the institutions accredited by the authorities to run the tests.”

He added that the conference with high expected attendance had to be moved outdoors due to the “obvious health hazards.”

Asked by reporters if he could confirm he was virus negative, Lee replied he didn’t know “what it means to be negative,” but that he had “gotten a flu shot.”

The government and pro-administration politicians have been holding the Shincheonji leader accountable for the virus’ spread here.

In a press briefing last week, the Health Ministry pointed to the church as having accelerated local transmissions in Daegu and nearby North Gyeongsang Province.

Liberal lawmaker Kim Kwang-soo, who stands on the National Assembly’s health and welfare committee, told The Korea Herald that a public apology from Lee was “long overdue.”

The lawmaker in a statement released early Monday afternoon urged the prosecution to launch a probe into Lee for deliberately holding back information, such as the church’s membership and places of worship.

On Sunday, the Seoul City government sought murder charges against Lee for failing to cooperate with health agencies and exacerbating the damage to public health.

Shincheonji official Kim Young-eun told The Korea Herald that the press conference had been organized in response to “growing concerns regarding the high number of infections among church followers.”

She declined to comment on potential murder accusations.

The Korean Bar Association’s chief spokesperson, attorney-at-law Hur Yoon, told The Korea Herald while a murder charge may be “stretching it a bit too far,” Lee could be facing charges of violating disease control laws or assault.

“Spreading an infectious disease knowingly is punishable under laws,” he said.

Hur also said that Lee’s apology and admission of wrongdoing in public Monday may work against him in court.

Lee said he was sorry for “some of the church members” who have been uncooperative and contributed to the spread of the virus.

“Depending on the degree of his input, he might be found guilty of egging on his followers or at least complicit in the act,” he said.

“What needed to come from Lee today was not a message to the public, but to his followers,” Tark Ji-il, a Shincheonji scholar and religious studies professor at Busan Presbyterian University, told The Korea Herald.

“Lee holds absolute authority in the church. One word from him could make followers who still can’t be reached as we speak show up and cooperate,” he said. “He can tell his followers to do just that, and yet he didn’t.”

Tark said Lee’s appearance of repentance, which is likely staged and calculated, would rally his base of followers further into hiding.

“Lee Man-hee bowing down before the world to them paints a picture that Shincheonji is being persecuted,” he said. “This is just going to consolidate his base even more.”

By Kim Arin (arin@heraldcorp.com)