President Lee Jae-myung hosted a luncheon meeting with leaders from seven major religious groups—Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism, Won Buddhism, Confucianism, Cheondoism, and ethnic religions—at the Blue House on the 12th. During the event, when religious leaders raised issues regarding the Unification Church and Shincheonji, President Lee reportedly said, “The harm caused is enormous,” according to Kang Yu-jung, the Blue House spokesperson.
In a written briefing, Kang stated that President Lee and the religious leaders exchanged opinions on topics including the Unification Church and Shincheonji issues, diplomatic achievements from his visit to Beijing, low birth rates, regional balanced development, and inter-Korean relations. The religious leaders reportedly emphasized, “The damage caused by pseudo-cult religions like the Unification Church and Shincheonji is severe,” and urged, “The government must strictly address behaviors that go beyond collusion between religion and government and inflict significant harm on citizens’ lives.”
In response, President Lee expressed agreement, stating, “This is a truly difficult subject, but the harm to our society has been neglected for too long, leading to enormous damage,” Kang relayed. The attending religious leaders then requested, “Dissolving religious groups that harm the nation and its people would likely gain public consensus,” and added, “We ask the government to consider using the assets of problematic religious foundations to support victims of pseudo-religions.”
According to the Blue House, the religious leaders also praised President Lee for addressing anti-Chinese sentiment and hate issues, stating, “Hate toward immigrants is becoming a breeding ground for fascism,” and “Many citizens would agree with proposals to break away from hatred.” Earlier, in his opening remarks before the luncheon, President Lee remarked, “As many people feel, conflicts, hatred, and animosity seem to have increased significantly. While the president’s most important role is to unite the people, efforts are being made, but there are many limitations.”
In response, Venerable Jinwoo, head of the Jogye Order and co-chair of the Korean Religious Leaders Council, said, “As crucial as national security is the mental security of the people,” and added, “We look forward to continued cooperation on the shared task of ensuring the peace of mind and mental security of the citizens,” Kang conveyed.
Participants included Venerable Jinwoo, Venerable Deoksu (head of the Cheontae Order), and Venerable Sangjin (head of the Taego Order) from Buddhism; Pastor Kim Jeong-seok (representative chairman of the National Council of Churches in Korea), Pastor Park Seung-ryul (general secretary of the Christian Council of Korea), and Pastor Ko Kyung-hwan (representative chairman of the Korean Christian Federation) from Protestantism; Archbishop Chung Soon-taick of Seoul Archdiocese and Bishop Lee Yong-hoon (chair of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea) from Catholicism; Na Sang-ho (head of Won Buddhism’s administrative office); Choi Jong-soo (head of Sungkyunkwan) from Confucianism; Park In-jun (head of Cheondoism); and Kim Ryung-ha (head of the Korean Council of Ethnic Religions).
Source link: https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2026/01/13/AGJTZCP3YJFS3H6XKMN2AWNA6Q/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
