Christmas tree lit at Buddhist temple A Christmas tree-shaped lantern is lit in front of Jogye Temple, run by South Korea’s largest Buddhist order of Jogye, in Seoul on Dec. 18, 2025. (Yonhap)
Christmas tree at Buddhist temple Buddhist monks, Christian leaders and children pose for a photo in a ceremony to light a Christmas tree-shaped lantern at Jogye Temple in downtown Seoul on Dec. 14, 2022. The temple is run by South Korea’s largest Buddhist order of Jogye. (Yonhap)
The Tripitaka Koreana – carved on 81258 woodblocks in the 13th century – is the most successful large data transfer over time yet achieved by humankind. 52 million characters of information, transmitted over nearly 8 centuries with zero data loss – an unequalled achievement. 1/ pic.twitter.com/TaNkmlldhA
For a Buddhist monk that preaches piety he sure is living quite the lifestyle:
This undated file photo shows Ven. Haemin, who has recently been engulfed in controversy over his property and lifestyle that appear to contradict his preaching of non-possession. (Yonhap)
A popular Buddhist monk, who has faced public criticism over his lifestyle that appears to contradict his preaching of non-possession, belatedly apologized Thursday over another controversy over an apartment in New York believed to be owned by him.
Ven. Haemin, also an author and teacher, has recently faced widespread criticism over his posh private home in central Seoul, and a subsequent news report claimed that he made gains by selling a building to a Buddhist organization allegedly run by him in the past.
Further allegations arose earlier this week that he had purchased an apartment complex in Brooklyn, New York, together with a foreign national in May 2011, for the price of US$610,000.
Carol singing at Buddhist temple Youngsters wearing Santa costumes sing carols against the backdrop of a lighted Christmas tree at Jogye Temple in downtown Seoul on Dec. 20, 2019. The event at the main temple of the Jogye order of Korean Buddhism was jointly organized by all the major religious groups in the country. (Yonhap)
Two child monks touch each other’s head after attending a shaving and Buddhist confirmation ceremony at a Buddhist temple near the eastern coastal city of Sokcho on April 14, 2017, ahead of Buddha’s Birthday that falls on May 3. (Yonhap)
Here is an odd story about a Buddhist statue believed to have been plundered from Korea by Japan, that thieves stole from a Japanese temple in 2012 and returned it to Korea:
This photo, taken on Jan. 26, 2017, shows the landscape of Buseok Temple in Seosan on South Korea’s western coast. The Daejeon District Court in Daejeon, ordered an ancient Buddhist statue, stolen from a Japanese temple in 2012, to be handed over to the temple.
A local court on Thursday ordered an ancient Buddhist statue, stolen from a Japanese temple in 2012, to be handed over to a temple in Seosan on South Korea’s west coast that has claimed ownership.
The Daejeon District Court ruled in favor of Buseok Temple, which filed a lawsuit against the Seoul government in April to take back the statue of the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, which was stolen by Korean thieves from Kannon Temple in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, in October 2012.
“Based on (Buseok Temple’s) statements during court hearings and onsite inspections, it is assumed that its ownership of the statue is sufficiently acknowledged,” the court said in its ruling. “Considering its historical, religious values, (the government) has the responsibility to return it to the plaintiff.”
The Japanese temple has demanded the return of the statue. But a South Korean court granted an injunction in February 2013 to suspend its return to Japan following a request by Buseok Temple. Temple officials claim the statue was illegally plundered by Japan. [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link, but I wonder if this will become a new trend with Korean nationalists, trying to steal cultural items from Japan and bring them back to Korea?
Won Buddhism believers hold a rally in front of the Defense Ministry in Seoul on Sept. 30, 2016, to protest a ministry decision to pick a golf course in the southeastern county of Seongju as the “final” site for an advanced U.S. missile defense system known as Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). The golf course is about 500 meters away from the religion’s sacred ground. (Yonhap)
The American monk believed that as a foreigner he was just a decoration for the Jogye order:
A well-known monk from the United States said Friday that he will cut ties with Korean Buddhism which he said is dominated by “bad monks” who pursue money and discriminate against foreign monks.
On his Facebook account, Monk Hyun Gak wrote, “I am deeply disappointed with Korean Buddhism. August will be my last visit to Korea.”
Hyun Gak currently serves as chief monk at Hyeongjeong Temple in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. He is now staying in Germany.
Born in New Jersey, the monk became a member of the Jogye Order in 1992. He became a Korean citizen in 2008.
He was inspired by Seungsahn, the master of the Jogye Order and a founder of the International Kwan Um School of Zen. The two met at a lecture in the U.S. Seongsahn died in 2004, and Hyun Gak took over the Zen school as director.
The monk cited the authoritarian culture, hierarchical system, discrimination against nationality and gender, and the pursuit of money within the Jogye Order as reasons for his departure. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link, but to be fair the Jogye order isn’t much different than many other religious sects that seem to prioritize raising money over teaching their religious beliefs.
