"'Full Ownership Controversy' Hye-min Sunim's 40-Day Meditation Retreat at Mihwangsa Temple in Haenam Ttangkkeut Village"

A Connection with Venerable Geumgang Monk... Repentance Prayer and Diligent Practice

Hye-min Sunim. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] It has been confirmed that Ven. Hyemin (48), who halted her broadcasting activities amid controversy over 'full ownership,' stayed and practiced asceticism at Mihwangsa Temple, known as the 'beautiful temple at the land's end' in Haenam, Jeollanam-do.

According to the religious community on the 27th, Ven. Hyemin prayed and practiced asceticism at Mihwangsa for about 40 days at the end of last year and left on the 26th.

The stay at Mihwangsa was due to the suggestion of the head monk, Ven. Geumgang. After receiving a call from Ven. Hyemin, Ven. Geumgang recommended practicing at the temple.

It is reported that Ven. Hyemin stayed at Dalma Seonwon in the southern part of the temple grounds. She participated in morning and evening Buddhist services daily and also climbed nearby Dalmasan Mountain.

Ven. Geumgang and Ven. Hyemin first met in the early 2000s at Bulgwangsa Temple in New York, USA. Since then, the two have maintained a friendly relationship through occasional conversations at religious events.

Ven. Geumgang is said to plan to leave Mihwangsa next month after completing his term as head monk (until February 2).

Meanwhile, Ven. Hyemin previously sparked controversy over real estate ownership by revealing her home with a 'Namsan Tower view' on a variety show last year.

Subsequently, as suspicions about her involvement in a meditation app business and ownership of expensive overseas real estate surfaced, criticism against Ven. Hyemin, who had emphasized non-attachment and meditation, intensified.

In response, Ven. Hyemin declared repentance, stating, "I will give up all activities, return to a public meditation center, study the Buddha's teachings again, and devote myself to ascetic practice and prayer. I will return to my original intention, reflect on my shortcomings, and deeply study the essence of a practitioner's mind," and then disappeared from the public eye.

Ven. Hyemin was born in 1974 and spent her adolescence in Korea before earning a master's degree in Comparative Religion from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Princeton University in the United States.

Afterward, she served as a professor of Religious Studies at the University of New Hampshire in Massachusetts for seven years. In 2000, she received the novice monk precepts at Haeinsa Temple, becoming a novice monk. In 2008, she became an official monk of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.

Since publishing her essay When You Stop, Things Become Visible in 2012, Ven. Hyemin has received much love and attention from readers.