Amid Pressure to Leave the Buddhist Community
First Public Call Within the Party
Cho Eung-cheon "Time for a Decision"
[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Pressure is mounting for Rep. Jeong Cheong-rae of the Democratic Party of Korea to leave the party. Amid pressure from the Buddhist community to resign, the situation escalated when a key figure from Lee Jae-myung’s camp, referred to as "Ihaekgwan," was mentioned on social media, leading to growing calls within the party for him to voluntarily step down.
On the 20th, Rep. Jo Eung-cheon of the Democratic Party appeared on a radio show and said, "Honestly, there are many lawmakers around who, though they cannot say it openly, wish that Rep. Jeong would voluntarily leave the party," adding, "When has there ever been a time when putting the party before personal interests was more necessary?" When asked if he believed such a decision was needed now, he replied, "Personally, I think so."
On the 18th, Rep. Jeong stated on his Facebook, "An Ihaekgwan came to me, saying it was the will of candidate Lee Jae-myung and that the Buddhist community was uneasy, suggesting that I voluntarily leave the party," but he declared he would not resign. The term ‘Ihaekgwan’ that Jeong mentioned is a play on the People Power Party’s ‘Yunhaekgwan’ (key figures close to candidate Yoon Seok-youl), referring to a key figure in Lee’s camp.
The term ‘Haekgwan’ (key figure) implies someone who, hiding behind anonymity, leaks intentions as if representing the candidate’s position and exerts influence around the candidate. Because of this, mentioning ‘Haekgwan’ has created an awkward atmosphere within the Democratic Party. On the same day, Rep. Yoon Geon-young of the party said on the radio, "I don’t really know the reality behind the ‘Haekgwan’ that Rep. Jeong mentioned," adding, "He suddenly mentioned ‘Haekgwan,’ so I don’t know the reason behind it either."
The pressure for Rep. Jeong to resign was triggered by remarks he made at last year’s National Assembly audit that upset the Buddhist community. At the time, Rep. Jeong referred to the Haeinsa Temple cultural heritage admission fee as a toll and compared it to ‘Bongyi Kim Seon-dal,’ which drew backlash from Buddhists. Although the Democratic Party leadership and Rep. Jeong himself apologized, negative public opinion has not easily subsided.
Recently, former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and about 30 Democratic Party lawmakers visited Jogyesa Temple and performed 108 prostrations to apologize for Rep. Jeong’s remarks. The Buddhist community has expressed the view that the government and ruling party have neglected Buddhism since the Moon Jae-in administration began.
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