"Monks Play Yutnori with 10 Million Won Stakes During Holidays" Shaking the Millennium-Old Temple

Haeinsa Emergency Committee "Monk Encourages Gambling Urges"
Temple Side "The 10 Million Won Betting Amount Is Not True"

At Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon, Gyeongnam, a thousand-year-old temple and home to the national treasure Tripitaka Koreana, allegations have been raised not only about a sexual misconduct scandal involving the head monk but also about a game of Yutnori with a huge gambling stake.

The Emergency Countermeasures Committee for the Normalization of Haeinsa Temple under the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism (hereafter Haeinsa ECC) issued a press release on the 25th, alleging that "under the leadership of Monk A, senior monks played Yutnori on Lunar New Year's Eve (January 21 in the solar calendar) with a stake worth about 10 million won."

They further claimed, "The abbot, who should supervise the monks' self-restraint, led the promotion of gambling spirit, and the Yutnori led by Monk A is a serious deception of the public and fellow believers."

The ECC urged the immediate resignation of the abbot, the expulsion of Monk A who led the Yutnori, and called on the Hoebup (the temple’s disciplinary department) to immediately investigate those responsible for permitting the Yutnori. Expulsion (Sanmun Chulsong) means expelling a monk from the temple when they commit a wrongdoing.

Haeinsa Denies Allegations: "Not True" ... "Holiday Yutnori is a Traditional Custom"

Haeinsa Temple, work by Jumyeongdeok [Photo by Asia Economy]

In response, Haeinsa denied the allegations, stating, "This is not true." A Haeinsa official explained, "It is a traditional custom for monks to play Yutnori in the mountain temple during holiday breaks," and added, "The claim that a Yutnori game with a 10 million won stake took place is a crude way of expression by those people (the ECC)."

The official further said, "Why would monks gamble money while playing Yutnori? I was not present at the scene, so I do not know for sure, but I will check again."

However, a representative of the ECC strongly criticized, "Despite the current Haeinsa scandal (sexual misconduct allegations), which requires monks to practice with utmost silence and repentance, holding a high-stakes Yutnori game violates the daily code of conduct of the monastic community," and added, "Haeinsa’s promise to repent and practice diligently before the public and Buddhist believers has become empty words."

Meanwhile, regarding the sexual misconduct controversy involving Monk Hyeonung, Haeinsa decided at an extraordinary meeting held on the 16th of this month to expel Monk Hyeonung and Monk Seonggong, who officially raised the issue. However, this is not an official disciplinary action by the Jogye Order. An investigation into the truth of the sexual misconduct allegations is expected to precede any disciplinary measures.