culture news: antigovernment candlelight vigils President Lee Myung-bak Religious Sector
by johnnytalkback
Gov’t Seeks to Soothe Religious Sector
The government is working to soothe the religious sector after a number of religious groups organized antigovernment candlelight vigils.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Han Seung-soo rushed to meet with a top official of the Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist sect in Korea, in the wake of active preparations by a number of Buddhist and Catholic groups to stage antigovernment demonstrations.
However, Han’s meeting with the Buddhist official collapsed after a group of Buddhists protested the meeting as they urged President Lee Myung-bak to abandon what they called his religious inclinations. The Buddhist sector reportedly has increasingly become disgruntled over Lee’s appointments of top officials who they say are mostly Protestants like the president.
Han is expected to seek to meet with the Jogye Order official on Wednesday as well as pursue similar meetings with leaders of Christian and Catholic groups to explain the government’s policy on U.S. beef imports.