While the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism held the National Monks Convention, claiming that the Moon Jae-in government was biased toward a particular religion, some in the Buddhist community pointed out that the justification for holding the convention was insufficient. They agree with the Jogye Order that the government has been biased towards certain religions, but they insisted that it is difficult to see that it is a recent issue that has become serious enough to hold a monks’ convention.
About 3,500 monks from all over the country, including Monk Wonhaeng, head of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, are holding the National Monks Competition in front of the Daeungjeon Hall of Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 21st. news
Various cases of religious bias were discussed at the National Monks Convention held at Jogyesa Temple in Seoul on the 21st with around 3,500 monks from all over the country in attendance. These include President Moon Jae-in’s audience with Pope Francis, a project to create a Catholic pilgrimage route in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do, a carol revitalization campaign by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Christian music performances by national and public choirs across the country.
However, criticism was raised that this event lacked a justification given that the Buddhist conference, centered on Buddhist social groups, was an extra-legal decision-making method that transcends the sectarian and constitutional laws. An estimated 200,000 people attended the Pan-Buddhist Convention held in 2008 to criticize then-President Lee Myung-bak’s religious bias. Even considering that this event was only attended by monks, it is evaluated that the Buddhist community as well as social support and interest were not high.
Lee Do-heum, a professor of Korean language and literature at Hanyang University, who is co-representing the Buddhist Solidarity for Justice and Peace, said, “The government should oppose the religious bias and improve it. Contrary to the requirements of the monks’ meeting, which requires that the meeting be held until the time of the meeting, it cannot be recognized as a monk’s contest because some monks followed the pre-configured script for the remarks of a member of the council.” More than half of the students claimed that they oppose the holding of the monks’ convention.
On the afternoon of the 21st at Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul, the ‘National Monks Competition for the Eradication of Religious Bias and Buddhist Distortion and the Protection of Korean Buddhism’s sovereignty’ is being held. On that day, about 3,500 monks criticized the current government’s religious bias and distortion of Buddhism, citing examples such as Chung Cheong-rae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, who lowered the price of cultural assets, and the government’s support for the Catholic carol campaign. yunhap news
The Association for Participatory Buddhist Teachings, which published a joint statement by Buddhist social groups opposing the holding of the Monks Convention, also raised its voice of criticism again and again. Bae Byeong-tae, secretary-general of the Participating Buddhist Teaching Association, pointed out, “It is true that the emotions accumulated in the Buddhist world erupted all at once.” Secretary-General Bae said, “It is difficult to agree that the issues presented are serious enough to hold a monk’s conference,” he said.
Secretary-General Bae cited the relationship between religion and secular power as the root cause of the continuing controversy over religious bias. This is the story of a vicious cycle in which the heads of political parties or local governments support religious facilities and religious events to gain votes from the religious world, and religious groups respond or resist this and exercise influence. He said, “Local governments put taxes on religious facilities, citing tourism resource development or local people’s enjoyment of culture as the pretext, but those things only contribute to the expansion of a particular religion and do not benefit the entire community,” he said. “Not only Catholicism but Buddhism as well. “, he pointed out.
Secretary-General Bae said, “Personally, I think the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism needs to stop managing only large religions while operating a religious office.” In addition, he said, “If a priest, pastor, or monk brings money from the state, we need to change the culture in which internally, they are recognized as ‘capable’ and are evaluated as ‘great’. do,” he emphasized.
Kim Min-ho reporter kmh@hankookilbo.com
