Religious leaders urge unity after court ousted Yoon Suk Yeol
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea said politicians should work together to restore people's trust, respecting the Constitutional Court of Korea's decision Friday.
'Politicians should remember serving their people and listen to each other to cultivate better politics,' the CBCK said in a statement.
The National Council of Churches in Korea, the most progressive of the four largest Protestant alliances in the country, said government officials should contain the fallout from the leadership vacuum prompted by the ruling. An early election must now be held within 60 days to elect a new leader.
The United Christian Churches of Korea, another Protestant alliance, said resorting to violence would be something God would disapprove of, referring to potential violent protests following the ruling. Streets and roads near the Constitutional Court were cordoned off Friday, and nearby schools and museums were closed, as were the royal palaces, in anticipation of clashes between protesters.
The Anglican Church of Korea described the ruling as a watershed moment, calling on the country 'to grow stronger while tolerant of differences.'
The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism said the court's decision is evidence of the fact that the Constitution and democracy are both working.
The Constitutional Court, in its ruling, said using martial law while avoiding politically engaging the opposition was not democratic.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Court orders foreign ministry to drop lawsuit against MBC over Yoon's hot mic
A court on Wednesday ordered the foreign ministry to drop a lawsuit against broadcaster MBC over former President Yoon Suk Yeol's controversial remarks caught on a hot mic during his visit to the United States in 2022. Under the compulsory mediation, or "decision in lieu of conciliation," the Seoul High Court ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to withdraw the lawsuit and instructed MBC to consent to the decision. Under South Korean law, a compulsory mediation can be ordered by a court when no settlement is reached during a mediation process in a civil lawsuit. It becomes final if neither party files an objection within two weeks. The former president's remarks, which experts say are difficult to discern due to background noise, were subtitled by MBC to make it sound like the president used vulgar language when mentioning then US President Joe Biden. Yoon's office later argued there was no mention of Biden and claimed the word he used was in reference to the South Korean National Assembly. "Considering the nature of the remarks, the freedom of the press and expression along with the social costs and side effects of the dispute, it is desirable that the issue be settled amicably by withdrawing the lawsuit," the court said in a statement. The court added the evidence provided by the foreign ministry was not sufficient to prove the news report was false. In January 2024, a lower court ordered broadcaster MBC to correct its report, with the broadcaster challenging the decision. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Indoor temperatures in S. Korean prison cells topped 30 C during July heat wave: disclosure
South Korea's prisons sweltered in extreme heat earlier this summer, with newly released data showing inmates were confined in cells that stayed above 30 degrees Celsius for much of July's record-breaking heatwave. Information disclosed by the Ministry of Justice, after a request from three human rights groups, revealed that from July 1 to 10, nearly all of the nation's 55 correctional facilities reported indoor temperatures above 30 degrees. At Seoul Detention Center, for example, the temperature on July 10 measured 32 degrees at 6 a.m. and rose slightly higher later in the day, even exceeding the outdoor morning temperature. The Korea Meteorological Administration confirmed that early July was the hottest on record, with national averages reaching 28.2 degrees and Seoul peaking at 37.8 degrees. Most inmates are housed in cells without air conditioning. Only medical wards are equipped with cooling units, while standard blocks rely on ceiling fans that automatically shut off every hour to prevent overheating. Crowded conditions mean body heat drives indoor temperatures even higher. The World Health Organization advises keeping daytime rooms below 32 degrees and nights below 24 degrees to reduce health risks. South Korea's own Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency recommends 26-28 degrees. Records showed at least seven inmates were treated for heat-related illnesses, including exhaustion, but some institutions declined to provide figures. No deaths were reported, yet the inconsistent disclosure was described by advocates as a significant transparency problem. Seoul Detention Center is where former President Yoon Suk Yeol is currently being held. He was returned to custody on July 10 after a court approved a detention warrant in an investigation into his Dec. 3 martial law imposition. Yoon is confined under standard intake procedures in a solitary cell that, like other ordinary blocks at the facility, has no air conditioning. Die-hard supporters of the impeached leader have called the lack of air conditioning in his cell a human rights abuse, urging the Justice Ministry to install cooling equipment. It was revealed, however, by Democratic Party lawmakers that Yoon was allowed to spend a total of 53 hours and 53 minutes between July 10-29 in air-conditioned reception areas, exclusively for himself and his guests. In 2019, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea recommended that the government establish legal standards for appropriate indoor temperatures in correctional facility cells. However, the Ministry of Justice responded that it would be difficult to set binding indoor temperature standards as the issue is linked to mid- to long-term challenges such as overcrowding and overall facility conditions. The three groups that demanded the information disclosure are Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun), the Catholic Human Rights Committee and Korean Lawyers for Public Interest and Human Rights.
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Unification Church campaigned for Yoon Suk Yeol in 2022 presidential election: report
The Unification Church is being suspected of illegally campaigning for Yoon Suk Yeol during the 2022 presidential election, a local media outlet reported Wednesday. The accusations come amid the government's ongoing probe against the former president's wife and the controversial religious sect's alleged lobbying. According to CBS No Cut News, branches of the Unification Church gathered their followers on March 3, 2022 — a day before the prevoting for the presidential election that Yoon won — and instructed them to vote for Yoon, then candidate of the conservative People Power Party. The meeting supposedly carried messages that were against the Democratic Party of Korea, and messages that the next president should be one who could "hear the words of the heavens." Han Hak-ja — the incumbent leader of the group and wife of the founding leader Moon Sun-myung — reportedly addressed high-ranking church officials in a Seoul hotel on March 2, 2022. In her speech, she was critical of then-incumbent President Moon Jae-in and claimed "the will of the heavens should be upheld in the presidential election." It was reported last week that the special counsel team investigating former lady Kim Keon Hee found evidence suggesting that the Unification Church funneled substantial amounts of cash to its branches to support Yoon's party ahead of the 2022 election. If the allegations are confirmed, the church would have violated the Public Official Election Act, which states in Article 85 that no one should use their position in a religious group to have members engage in an election campaign. The church's official position is that it has not illegally sponsored a "certain individual," although it did not elaborate. The Unification Church is also accused of gifting luxury bags and a necklace to Yoon's wife.
