Jeong Cheongrae Visits Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju: "APEC Summit Should Showcase Restoration of Democracy"

On the 19th, Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated, "Through the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, I hope we can let the world know that South Korean democracy has been restored and that the country has become a normal state after the December 3 Martial Law Rebellion."

Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is visiting Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk on the 19th. Photo by Yonhap News

On this day, at the Chongjidang Hall of Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, Jeong paid a courtesy visit to Chief Monk Josil and Senior Monk Hyeju. He remarked, "Since the spouses of the APEC leaders will be visiting Bulguksa Temple, I hope they will fully experience our history and Buddhist culture, and that Bulguksa will play a significant role in leaving a positive impression of South Korea as they return home."

In response, Chief Monk Josil said, "The country was in turmoil during the impeachment crisis. Watching TV at that time, I saw the possibility that our country could become a leader among the world's democratic nations," and added, "Even though lawmakers and citizens were divided and fighting on both sides, seeing them maintain a certain level of order made me think that our country could become a frontrunner in global democracy."

Moon Daerim, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, told reporters after the meeting, "There was an exchange of gratitude regarding Kim Hye-kyung's visit to Bulguksa Temple before the presidential election and the temple's warm welcome to the national abbots' meeting held at Bulguksa." The Bulguksa Temple representatives requested preparations for infrastructure to accommodate the influx of tourists expected during the APEC summit.

According to spokesperson Moon, during the 30-minute closed-door meeting, Jeong said, "I asked the Prime Minister if all the leaders could gather at Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram during the APEC summit," and added, "I wanted to promote Korean Buddhist culture to the world, but it seems this was not included in the official summit schedule."