The founder and leader of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which is the hotbed of coronavirus infections in South Korea, issued a public apology on Monday.
 
He held a news conference at a Shincheonji facility in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Reading from a prepared script while wearing a mask, he addressed the COVID-19 outbreak.
 
He said the government and authorities were doing their utmost best to contain the spread and that his church was actively cooperating and will not refrain from providing the best possible support.
 
In a gesture of apology to the public he then got up and made a deep bow.
 
He said he will also seek forgiveness from the government before bowing again.
 
Some protesters at the site called him a con man and asked him to return their family members.
 
Earlier in the day, the religious sect announced that Lee had had been tested for the virus, and that the results had come back negative.