Jokyejong Receives 'Yukpo Gift' in Hwang Kyo-ahn's Name... Korean Party's Emergency Retrieval Commotion

Korean Party Side "Wrong Delivery... Apologized"

Jogyesa Buddha Statue / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] The Liberty Korea Party caused a commotion by sending jerky as a Lunar New Year gift to the Buddhist community and then urgently recalling it.

On the 20th, according to the Buddhist community and the Liberty Korea Party, a Lunar New Year gift in the name of Representative Hwang Kyo-ahn arrived at the Jogye Order Secretariat located in the Korean Buddhist History and Culture Memorial Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

The gift was delivered to the Jogye Order’s secretary general Wonhaeng Sunim’s assistant, the head of the Jogye Order’s library, and the chairman of the Central Sangha Council, the legislative body of the Jogye Order, representing the order’s senior monks.

The Lunar New Year gift from Representative Hwang, presumed to have been purchased at a department store in downtown Seoul, was jerky packaged inside a box.

In the Jogye Order, influenced by Mahayana Buddhism, it is fundamentally prohibited for practicing monks to consume meat.

As a result, there were reports that the monks within the Jogye Order who received the jerky gift felt embarrassed.

After belatedly realizing the misdelivery, the Liberty Korea Party reportedly sent staff to retrieve the gift.

The Liberty Korea Party explained, "It is true that jerky was prepared as a Lunar New Year gift this year, but a different gift was intended for the Buddhist community and the jerky was mistakenly delivered," adding, "We apologized to the Jogye Order while retrieving the gift."

Hwang Kyo-ahn, Leader of the Liberty Korea Party / Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, Representative Hwang caused controversy for a breach of etiquette by not performing the Buddhist greeting gesture 'hapjang' at the Buddha’s Birthday ceremony held in May last year.

At that time, the Jogye Order issued a press release expressing "deep regret" to Representative Hwang. Representative Hwang apologized, saying, "I was inexperienced and lacked understanding of other religions."