Faith leaders urge unity as President Lee Jae-myung takes office
In a statement, the Korean Council of Religious Leaders — including the heads of Buddhist, Catholic and Protestant organizations — said Lee faced the daunting but pressing task of bringing the country together, replacing Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office in April after declaring martial law.
'We hope to see a president who understands the need for unity and who can listen to different voices to lead this country out of a crisis,' the statement said, referring to mounting concerns the new leader has to grapple with, starting with reviving a sputtering economy.
The Ven. Jinwoo, the president of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, Korea's largest Buddhist sect, reminded Lee of prioritizing 'people's livelihood.'
'An approach with that in mind should be able to restore people's trust in the government,' Jinwoo said.
Bishop Mathias Lee Yong-hoon, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, stressed the resolution of hostilities still running deep in the country.
The Korean people have realized how crucial it is for the government to exercise its power within the limits of the law, Lee said, describing the ill-fated martial rule in December as a traumatic experience that saw the country shaken to its very core.
'The country needs a president who will see his way toward justice and peace,' Lee noted, adding the commander-in-chief should seek an inter-Korean thaw amid strained ties.
The National Council of Churches in Korea, one of the four largest Protestant alliances in the country, also backed a bigger push for a more peaceful Korean Peninsula.
The Rev. Kim Jong-seng, the NCCK general secretary, asked Lee for further outreach to the underprivileged, focusing on people with disabilities and migrants.
'We hope to see every voice heard by the president, no matter where they come from.'
The Rev. Kim Jong-hyuk, president of the United Christian Churches of Korea, another Protestant alliance, asked Lee to do his best to communicate better with the public when implementing measures that impact their lives.
'We expect bigger efforts by the president to seek understanding from the people,' Kim said, in a clear reference to the previous government's seeming unwillingness to engage with the public at every turn.
Na Sang-ho, head of Won Buddhism, urged Lee to help cultivate a climate of tolerance. 'A country built on hope and harmony is ushered in by a leader embracing differences,' Na said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
8 minutes ago
- Korea Herald
Lee dines with foreign envoys, commits to diversity, mutual cooperation
President Lee Jae Myung hosted a dinner Friday for foreign ambassadors and diplomats to South Korea, promising a government that places 'practical, interest-centered diplomacy' at the forefront and 'contributes and takes responsibility' for challenges facing the international community. The event had around 170 participants, with invitations extended to 117 ambassadors and representatives of 30 international agencies based in Seoul. Acting US Ambassador to South Korea Joseph Yun, Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Mizushima, Chinese Ambassador to Korea Dai Bing and English Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks were in attendance. International agencies based in Seoul sent representatives, including those from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, as well as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson of US Forces Korea, deputy commander Gen. Kang Shin-chul of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command and deputy commander Lt. Gen. Derek Macaulay of the UN Command were also present. Besides foreign ambassadors and diplomats, the Lee administration's special envoys abroad, lawmakers from the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, Cabinet members and leaders of major businesses and economic associations joined. 'While nurturing and maintaining our existing strong relationships, we will respond flexibly to the rapidly changing international environment, avoiding narrow perspectives and seeking diverse cooperation and solidarity that enhances mutual interests,' Lee said during his welcoming remarks. He also promised to create a 'culture that respects differences and diversity' as Korea grows increasingly diverse with approximately 2.65 million foreign nationals residing in the country. The president also pointed to multilateral meetings scheduled for the latter half of the year, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit to be held late October in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, as well as the UN General Assembly in September and the G20 Summit in November. He expressed his hope to meet and communicate with the foreign envoys' country leaders on these occasions.
Korea Herald
4 hours ago
- Korea Herald
S. Korea voices 'deep regret' over Japan PM's offering, lawmakers' visit to war shrine
South Korea expressed deep regret Friday after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba sent a ritual offering to a war shrine seen as symbolizing its militaristic past and its lawmakers paid respects there. The foreign ministry issued a statement after Ishiba sent the offering to the Yasukuni Shrine honoring Japanese war dead, and Japanese politicians paid visits on the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in the World War II. South Korea marks the date as Liberation Day, commemorating its independence from Japan's colonial rule. "We express deep disappointment and regret that responsible leaders in Japan have once again made offerings to or visited the Yasukuni Shrine," foreign ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said in a commentary. "We urge Japanese leaders to squarely face history and show through action humble reflection and genuine atonement for historical issues, and we once again emphasize that these will be the foundation for building a future-oriented bilateral relationship between the two countries," Lee said. Yasukuni Shrine honors some 2.46 million Japanese war dead, including 14 Class A criminals convicted by the Allies in international tribunals for their roles in World War II. Japan's Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, regarded as a strong contender for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership, along with former economic security ministers Sanae Takaichi and Takayuki Kobayashi, visited the shrine to pay their respects, local media reported. The anniversary came ahead of President Lee Jae Myung's visit to Tokyo on Aug. 23 and 24 for talks with Ishiba, before traveling to Washington for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Earlier in the day, Ishiba expressed "remorse" over Japan's wartime past during the National Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead in Tokyo, which marked the first such expression by a Japanese leader since 2013. A senior presidential official said the Lee administration is "paying attention" to Ishiba's remarks, expressing hope that the two neighbors will continue efforts to build trust and pave the way for closer relations. "It would be in line with a better future and our shared interests for Japan's responsible leaders to face the painful history and demonstrate efforts to ensure that trust between our countries is not undermined," the official told Yonhap News Agency. During a Liberation Day ceremony, Lee described Japan as "an indispensable partner" and pledged to pursue "forward-looking, mutually beneficial" cooperation with Tokyo.
Korea Herald
5 hours ago
- Korea Herald
80 citizens, 80 letters: The people delivering Lee their ‘mandate'
President Lee Jae Myung, who began his term with a brief inauguration a day after the June 3 election, was on Friday evening to receive 80 letters of appointment from people representing the diversity and history of Korean society, in the first ceremony of its kind aimed at underscoring the legitimacy of his mandate from the people. Eighty people, selected to represent each of the 80 years since liberation in 1945, are to take part in the ceremony coinciding with Liberation Day at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. Each representative will step onto a circular stage and place a personally written letter of appointment inside a large symbolic cube set at the center in an event beginning at 8 p.m. Four particular individuals — Mok Jang-gyun, a descendant of an independence fighter, Lee Guk-jong, director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital, Lee Yeon-soo, CEO of NCSoft's artificial intelligence division, and film director Ha Ga-young — will be the last to place their letters. Among the 80, several figures stand out for their roles in key historical and contemporary moments. Lee Kyung-pil, 74, represents the year 1950 as one of five infants born aboard a US military vessel during the Hungnam evacuation at the start of the Korean War. Representing the year 1960 is Lee Hae-hak, an 80-year-old pastor who took part in the April Revolution that brought down President Syngman Rhee's authoritarian rule. In 2016, professional Go player Lee Sedol, now 42, drew international attention for his competition against Google's artificial intelligence program AlphaGo. The list also includes married couple Yoo Choong-won and Kim Sook-jung, honored for physically blocking an armored vehicle during former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration in December 2024. Kim Joon-young and Sa Gong Hye-ran, who gave birth to Korea's first quintuplets in nearly 40 years last year, were recognized for representing hope and social sustainability amid a deepening demographic crisis. The ceremony will be attended by former President Moon Jae-in and his wife, as well as the family of the late President Roh Moo-hyun. Religious leaders and public figures across various sectors are also expected to attend. Former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, along with the spouses of late Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, were invited, but will not attend, citing health reasons. Members of the main opposition People Power Party and the minor New Reform Party said they would also not attend, in protest of Lee's special pardon of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and former Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang, who was convicted of embezzling donations intended for the victims of sex slavery during Japan's colonial rule. A total of 3,500 members of the public, selected through an online application process, are to be present. The ceremony is to be broadcast live on KBS from 8 p.m. According to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, the 80 representatives were chosen not only for notable achievements in areas spanning democracy, economic development, science, culture and sports, but also for representing the lived experiences of each generation. 'Together, they embody the everyday resilience and collective progress of the Korean people,' Kang said in a press briefing Thursday.
