Church Deacon Jeong Cheongrae and the Story Behind His Buddhist Name [Current Affairs Show]

Jeong, Deacon at Mapo Holiness Church
Mentioned "Bongi Kim Seondal," Sparking Outrage in the Buddhist Community
Improved Relations as the Supreme Patriarch Bestows a Buddhist Name

■ Broadcast: 'So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show' (Monday to Friday, 4:00 PM)

■ Host: Political Specialist So Jongseop ■ Producer: PD Lee Miri

Chung Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party, is a church deacon. He attends the Korea Nazarene Holiness Church located in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. However, he was given the Buddhist Dharma name 'Jisan' (智山, meaning 'Wise Great Mountain') by Jinje, the former Supreme Patriarch of the Jogye Order. How did this happen?

After Chung became the Democratic Party leader, the first religious institution he visited was the Jogye Order's administrative headquarters. On August 11, Jinwoo, the head monk of the Jogye Order, met with Chung and said, "If you control your emotions well and block feelings of love and hate, everything becomes clear and the Dharma stands upright." Chung replied, "I am making personnel appointments based on fairness, excluding personal feelings."

Democratic Party leader Chung Cheong-rae is having a friendly conversation with Jinwoo, the head monk of Jogye Order, during a visit to Jogyesa Temple in Seoul on August 11. Photo by Yonhap News

The relationship between the Buddhist community and Chung was originally adversarial. On October 5, 2021, during a National Assembly audit of the Cultural Heritage Administration, Chung referred to temple admission fees as a 'toll' and compared temples that collect such fees to 'Bongi Kim Seondal' (a historical figure known for trickery). The Buddhist community was outraged. Some monks staged picket protests at the entrance to the National Assembly and in front of Chung's local party office. At the time, Chung thought, "This will blow over soon." He was mistaken. The criticism from the Buddhist community only intensified.

Members of the Jogye Order's legislative council demanded that Chung resign from the National Assembly. They also called on the Democratic Party to expel him from his parliamentary position. Realizing the seriousness of the situation belatedly, Chung apologized and tried to visit the Jogye Order's headquarters, but he was blocked at the entrance and could not enter Jogyesa Temple. Members of the Jogye Order's legislative council visited the Democratic Party headquarters to protest. Eventually, on January 21, 2022, the Jogye Order held a nationwide monks' rally at Jogyesa Temple. The situation escalated into a major crisis for the Democratic Party.

Chung emphasized his ties to Buddhism, saying that he was born in Geumsan, South Chungcheong Province, and frequented Taegosa Temple as a child. He also graduated from Bomun High School, which is run by a Buddhist foundation. He even mentioned that he participated in a five-day silent retreat at the Jeongto Meditation Center in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province. Even Lee Jaemyung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate at the time, met with Wonhaeng, then head monk of the Jogye Order, and apologized for causing distress to the Buddhist community with excessive remarks. However, the Buddhist community remained unyielding.

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In this situation, Chung took two major steps. First, he offered a sincere apology. He personally visited numerous temples across the country to express his remorse to the monks. He visited dozens of temples nationwide. As a result, the anger of the Jogye Order began to subside. During this process, Jinje, the former Supreme Patriarch of the Jogye Order, gave Chung the Dharma name 'Jisan' (智山, meaning 'Wise Great Mountain') when Chung visited him.

The second step was to propose a legal solution regarding temple admission fees. He revised the Cultural Heritage Protection Act so that the government would cover the maintenance costs of designated cultural properties. In April 2022, Chung led the passage of the amendment to the Cultural Heritage Protection Act in the National Assembly. Starting from May 4 of that year, the admission fees previously charged at 65 temples nationwide were abolished. This resolved the long-standing conflict over temple admission fees. As a result, Chung, who had been at odds with the Buddhist community, improved his relationship with them. A figure from the Buddhist community said, "Chung is now one of the few figures among the current ruling party who maintain friendly relations with the monks."