Seoul (AsiaNews) - The "deep regret" expressed yesterday by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak during a cabinet meeting has not quieted Buddhist groups. Conservative Christians are now joining in the controversy, with the risk that the dispute could become interconfessional, rather than political.
The Buddhists are infuriated over the search police conducted in July of the car of an important monk, whose temple in Seoul sheltered activists from arrest, for having organized illegal public demonstrations. In protest, Buddhists marched in Seoul in August, with 60,000 people (about 200,000, according to the organizers), including at least 7,000 monks, calling for an official apology and the dismissal of police chief Eo Cheong-soo. Yesterday, in a televised comment, Lee said instead that the police chief "must visit Buddhist leaders, offer an apology, and promise to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents".
The Buddhists say they are the victims of religious discrimination, observing that Lee and 12 of his 15 ministers are Christians. In response, the cabinet yesterday approved an amendment requiring public officials to avoid religious discrimination and act in a "neutral" manner.
Venerable Wonhak (in the photo), director of the general affairs department of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, while saying that the president's apology was "sincere", confirmed that the Buddhists will not give up their request for Eo's dismissal, for a law against religious discrimination, and for immunity for demonstrators against the importing of American beef, who took refuge in the Jogye temple. He threatened more public protests, a serious concern for the government.
The monk Jinhwa, chairman of operations at a group against religious discrimination, observes that "the Blue House [the presidential residence] is only causing greater discord". "If the administration continues to fail to take action and refuses to accept Buddhists’ demands, it would actually cause more inter-religious conflict".
Protestant groups are also joining in the controversy: on September 8, the conservatives of the Grand Union of Patriotic Citizens (an association of about 200 groups) said that granting the request of the Buddhists "would simplify the situation for the president in the short term, but would make it more difficult in the long term". The group intends to visit central police headquarters to "encourage" Eo to remain in office.
On September 5, the Christian Council of Korea, the main conservative organization of Protestant churches, came out in opposition to a law against religious discrimination, observing that "this is something that should be a matter of common sense, and legislating it could very well cause greater religious dispute".
In the country, which has an ancient Buddhist tradition, Christianity became widespread only in the past century. In the 2005 census, "only" 22.8% said they were Buddhist, compared to 29.2% Christian, although 48% did not indicate any faith.