Venerable Beopryun’s Story Shared in Jungto Society’s “A Day with the Monk”
“A Truly Deep Karmic Connection Led to Their Marriage”
The wedding officiant speech delivered by Venerable Beopryun at the wedding of actors Kim Woobin and Shin Minah has been released.
On December 23, Jungto Society’s “A Day with the Monk” featured Venerable Beopryun’s account of attending the wedding of Kim Woobin and Shin Minah, which took place on December 20 at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Earlier that day, Venerable Beopryun held a Q&A session with the Peace Foundation’s Unification Volunteers and then attended the ordination ceremony for novice monks, delivering a Dharma talk before heading to the Shilla Hotel around 7 p.m. to officiate the wedding.
From the left, Shin Minah and Kim Woobin couple, and Venerable Beopryun. AM Entertainment Venerable Beopryun Instagram
During the ceremony, Venerable Beopryun began, “First, I would like to congratulate the two of you on your marriage. I have known both of you for a long time.” The monk recalled that there was a time when Kim Woobin struggled with health issues, saying, “Minah carried an offering of rice on her head and prayed together with me in front of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva at Namsan in Gyeongju, transcending religious boundaries.” He continued, “After that, Woobin regained his health, and today, the two of you are here, holding hands and promising to spend your lives together. This is truly the result of a deep karmic connection.”
"Carrying an offering of rice, praying together before Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva"
The connection between the couple and the monk reportedly began in 2017, during Kim Woobin’s battle with nasopharyngeal cancer. At that time, Kim Woobin received great comfort from counseling with Venerable Beopryun, and Shin Minah also drew strength from the monk’s advice and encouragement while caring for him. Through this bond, Kim Woobin personally asked Venerable Beopryun to officiate the wedding, and the monk gladly accepted.
The monk described Shin Minah as warm-hearted and kind, noting that she has consistently supported underprivileged children for over a decade. He added, “She has provided significant support to help North Korean defectors ease their hardships,” and explained, “Children who come to South Korea with defectors often struggle to adapt to society, and she has always supported after-school programs for these children.”
Addressing the realities of married life, the monk said, “Living together is not easy.” He remarked, “How wonderful it would be if you could always feel as you do today. But as you live together, your views may diverge, leading to conflicts.” He continued, “Most people think that because they love each other, they must become the same after marriage. But this often leads to marriage becoming a restriction on individual freedom. To overcome this, you should not only seek warmth and reliance on each other, but also deeply respect each other’s personal freedom.”
"Living together is not easy... Marriage should be a complete union, not just the joining of two halves"
Venerable Beopryun described marriage not as the union of two halves, but as a meeting of two complete individuals. He said, “If two halves come together to form a whole, even if they become a full moon, there is still a crack in the middle. But if two whole individuals come together, the full moon has no crack.” He continued, “So even if, for some reason, you part ways, I hope you become people who can stand whole on your own, without suffering from losing your ‘other half.’ I hope your marriage is not a form of bondage, but a path to greater freedom for both of you.”
The monk also said, “Most people think love is simply liking someone, but liking is often more about desire than love. When liking fades, it can turn into dislike or even hatred.” He went on, “No matter how close a married couple is, their thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and perspectives can differ. Recognizing these differences is what respect truly means.”
Venerable Beopryun emphasized respect and understanding. He said, “On top of respect, it’s important to understand the other person, thinking, ‘That’s possible from my wife’s perspective,’ or ‘That’s possible from my husband’s perspective.’ Love without understanding can sometimes turn into violence.” He added, “Even a parent’s love can sometimes become a source of pain for a child. Love should always be based on understanding the other person’s position.”
He also spoke about responsibility. Venerable Beopryun said, “You must remember that love comes with responsibility. Not only do you have responsibilities as wife and husband, but as people loved by the public, you also have social responsibilities.” He continued, “Conflicts between you are not just personal matters; they can affect society as a whole. Always keep in mind the responsibility that comes with your public reputation.”
"Marriage is a path to freedom, not bondage... Never forget your responsibilities as spouses, parents, and members of society"
In conclusion, the monk said, “First, marriage should be a path to greater freedom, not bondage. Second, you must respect and understand each other. Third, never forget your responsibilities as spouses, parents, and members of society. If you keep these points in mind, the happiness you feel today will continue to grow in the future.”
Before their marriage, Kim Woobin and Shin Minah donated a total of 300 million won to several organizations, including Good Friends, a peace, human rights, and refugee support center founded by Venerable Beopryun. The wedding was hosted by actor Lee Kwangsoo. The guest list included BTS member V, Gong Hyojin, Ryu Junyeol, Kim Taeri, Uhm Junghwa, Yoo Haejin, Kim Euisung, Go Dooshim, Nam Joohyuk, Lee Byunghun, Park Kyunglim, producer Na Youngseok, writer Kim Eunsook, writer Noh Heekyung, and others who came to bless the couple.
Venerable Beopryun is a peace activist, thinker, and practitioner who has led “immediate Q&A” sessions for decades. Recently, he published “Tak! Dialogue of Enlightenment” (Jungto Publishing), a collection of concise conversations that instantly quiet the mind. In the opening essay, “What Is Enlightenment?” the author defines immediate Q&A as “a dialogue of enlightenment to be freed from suffering here and now.”
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