The Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, a public entity under Gyeonggi Province, abruptly canceled the venue rental for the "Religious Leaders Forum and Graduation Ceremony" on October 29th, impacting over 30,000 participants from 57 countries including 1,000 religious leaders representing Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism. The event, jointly organized by the Association for Buddhist National Unification of Korea and Shincheonji Church of Jesus, was intended to promote interfaith dialogue and cooperation in Paju, South Korea. Organizers expressed deep concern that this constitutes an unconstitutional act of discrimination against a specific religion, violating religious freedom, human rights, and due process of law.
The hosting organizations revealed they had received official confirmation as recently as October 23rd and 28th that there were no plans for cancellation, making the sudden reversal particularly alarming. The Gyeonggi Tourism Organization cited security concerns related to recent North Korean actions and planned activities of a North Korean defector group as reasons for the cancellation. However, organizers pointed out that other events scheduled for the same day in the same area, including civilian bike rides and foreign tourist visits to the DMZ, were allowed to proceed. This discrepancy has led to accusations that the cancellation was an "administrative decision caused by opposition from a specific religious group," which would violate the principle of separation of church and state guaranteed by the South Korean Constitution.
This incident has reignited international debate about religious freedom and tolerance in South Korea, coming in the context of previous concerns raised by the U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom Report at https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/south-korea/. The report has highlighted issues such as the prosecution of Shincheonji Church of Jesus and the government's refusal to approve mosque construction in the country. The financial implications of this last-minute cancellation are substantial, with organizers reporting significant losses due to extensive preparations made for the event, though the exact amount of financial damage has not been disclosed.
The Association for Buddhist National Unification of Korea and Shincheonji Church of Jesus have called upon the South Korean government to respect religious freedom, uphold human rights, and rectify what they view as an unjust decision. They have also urged international organizations to monitor the situation closely and take appropriate action to protect religious freedom in South Korea. This incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by religious organizations in some parts of the world and the delicate balance between security concerns and the protection of fundamental rights.
As the situation continues to develop, it remains to be seen how the South Korean government will respond to the criticism and whether this incident will lead to any changes in policies regarding religious events and freedom of assembly in the country. The international community will likely be watching closely, as the outcome of this controversy could have implications for religious freedom and interfaith dialogue not only in South Korea but potentially in other regions as well, particularly given the involvement of participants from 57 countries and the event's focus on promoting interfaith cooperation through organizations like the Association for Buddhist National Unification of Korea at http://www.abnuk.org/.
