Top South Korea Buddhist quits
Seoul, Aug. 21: The head of South Korea’s biggest Buddhist denomination stepped down on Tuesday amid allegations that he forged his academic credentials, amassed vast wealth and fathered a child in breach of celibacy rules.
With more than 3,000 temples, 13,000 monks and seven million followers, the Jogye Order is followed by most of South Korea’s Buddhists and is highly influential in a country where religion remains a powerful social force.
But it has long been dogged by corruption allegations and factional feuds that often spill over into the headlines.
The resignation of Jogye president Seoljeong came days after he lost an unprecedented vote of no confidence by the order’s governing committee. The 76- year- old bid farewell to the followers and officials at the the order’s headquarters in Seoul and left for another temple south of Seoul where he had previously served for years.
“I joined this religious sect to bring changes to the flawed Korean Buddhism but will have to return to the mountain having failed to fulfil my wish,” he said in a press conference.
Seoljeong would likely have been forced out of the job at a Wednesday meeting of the order’s elders.
Pressure had mounted on the monk since an investigative TV programme claimed in May that he had fathered a daughter in breach of celibacy rules, and secretly owned vast real estate holdings despite taking a vow of poverty.