Rep. Chung Cheong-rae of the Democratic Party of Korea claimed that Lee Jae-myung’s intention was to voluntarily leave the party by his aides.
Rep. Jeong said on his Facebook on the 18th, “‘Lee Hee-kwan’ came to visit. He said, “I said that it was the intention of Candidate Lee Jae-myung, and that the Buddhist world is unusual, so why not leave the party voluntarily?” ‘Lee Hee-kwan’ seems to refer to Lee’s key officials by comparing him to the people’s power ‘Yun Hee-kwan’ (a key person on the side of Candidate Yoon Seok-yeol).
Rep. Jung continued, “I didn’t leave the party even during the cutoff. “I might not leave the party, so I refused and sent it back,” he said. It makes it very difficult,” he said.
“We are doing our best to win the presidential election by not giving in and persevering. I will be cut once more like this, but even if the Party forsakes me, I will not abandon the Party. Rather, I will devote myself to the party and to win the election.”
In October of last year, at the National Assembly Cultural Heritage Administration’s audit by the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, Rep. Jung referred to Haeinsa Temple’s ‘Entry Fee for Cultural Heritage Area’ as a ‘toll tax’ and compared the traditional temple that collects it to ‘Bongi Kim Seon-dal’, resulting in strong opposition from the Buddhist community.
In October, Song Young-gil, CEO, and in November, Lee apologized. Rep. Jeong visited the Jogye Order and apologized to the general manager of the Jogye Order regarding a month following the remarks in question. However, following being rejected, he posted an apology on Facebook.
Even following that, the negative public opinion in the Buddhist world has hardly subsided. Representatives from the Democratic Party, including Rep. Jeong, visited Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 17th and practiced 108 times of repentance and reflection. He also apologized repeatedly for Rep. Chung’s remarks and promised to form a committee on the prohibition of discrimination once morest religion and peace.
Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and Democratic Party floor leader Yun Ho-jung, and other lawmakers visited Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 17th and worshiped at Daeungjeon before meeting Monk Wonhaeng, general director of the Jogye Order. News 1Correspondent Jo Hye-sun, Donga.com hs87cho@donga.com
