Police began an investigation into a pastor of a Protestant church for allegedly urging a churchgoer showing symptoms of the new coronavirus to postpone taking a virus test, one day before they participated in a massive anti-government rally two weeks ago, officials said Friday.

They belong to Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul, which is blamed for new spikes in COVID-19 cases in the country since mid-August. Many members of the conservative church joined a rally in Gwanghwamun, downtown Seoul, on the Aug. 15 Liberation Day.

On Aug. 14, the pastor allegedly told a church member in his 70s to wait for three days to get tested though the person had a fever, while both were preparing for the demonstration.

The churchgoer was reportedly confirmed later to have contracted the virus and was being isolated. The pastor, classified as having come in contact with COVID-19 patients, went into self-quarantine.

A total of 959 cases linked to the church and 273 cases tied to Liberation Day protests have been confirmed, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

The Seoul metropolitan government has filed a complaint against the pastor on charges of violating the infectious disease control act.

A team at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has confiscated the pastor's mobile phone and plans to summon him as soon as he gets released from self-quarantine.

The police are also looking into whether the church ordered its members to delay being tested to boost participation in the rally. (Yonhap)