Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Uncertainty lingers over Ven. Jaseung's death
Monks carry the casket containing the body of Ven. Jaseung during a funeral service held at Jogye Temple in central Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
By Lee Gyu-lee
Untimely death of monk causes mass reflection on his major influence in Buddhist community
The abrupt death of Ven. Jaseung, former Jogye Order head, has left many people in shock, given his life's aim of helping to spread Buddha's teachings.
Adding complexity to the situation, his prominent status in Korea's largest Buddhist sect, closeness to political circles and being posthumously awarded a state medal have intensified the controversy and speculation surrounding his unexpected death.
Ven. Jaseung was found dead at the scene of a fire at Chiljang Temple in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, last Wednesday. Notes believed to be written by him were found at the scene, indicating a possible suicide.
Authorities, including the police and the National Intelligence Service, investigated the scene, assessing the potential for arson or external involvement, to better understand the circumstances surrounding the monk's death.
In an official announcement from the Jogye Order, Thursday, Ven. Jaseung’s death was described as an “act of self-immolation," intended as a spiritual gesture for the stability of the Buddhist order and the global spread of Dharma teachings.
Additional notes discovered at Ven. Jaseung's residence seems to support the theory of self-immolation. According to the Buddhist sect, his hymn to nirvana — the state of enlightenment in Buddhism — was: "There is no life and death, but there is no place where there is no life and death. There is no longer anything to be sought, so the relations are gone."
Ven. Jinwoo, the current leader of the Jogye Order, noted Friday that Ven. Jaseung had always pursued nirvana.
"I think he decided to come to that moment by himself," Ven. Jinwoo said, adding that the concept might be challenging for those outside the Buddhist community to comprehend, but such actions are not unprecedented among devout Buddhist practitioners, precluding any potential controversies regarding the incident.
President Yoon Suk Yeol, who met with the monk several times and sent congratulatory words when his association returned home from a religious walk in India, earlier this year, visited Ven. Jaseung's memorial site Saturday to pay respect to the late monk and sent a eulogy for Sunday's funeral ceremony.
The government posthumously awarded Ven. Jaseung the Mugunghwa Medal of the Order of Civil Merit, acknowledging his contributions to stabilizing Buddhism and facilitating harmony among religious communities in Korea.
Funeral held Sunday
His unexpected death has shed light on his influences and achievements in Korea's Buddhist community, as he is regarded as the most influential figure in the order despite not holding any official position in the order at the time of his death.
Born in 1954, Ven. Jaseung became a monk at the age of 19, joining the country’s largest Buddhist sect, the Jogye Order, in 1986. In 2009, he became the president of the order with the highest approval rating at the time. He succeeded in taking consecutive terms until 2017, becoming the first to hold the position for two terms.
During his first term, he drew attention as the first figure to bring together the order, gaining support from all four different politically divided congregations.
From 2011 to 2017, he also served as the chairman of the Korean Council of Religious Leaders and the Korean Conference on Religion and Peace from 2014 to 2017.
Although he didn’t hold a specific title after his terms ended, he remained an influential figure in the order. In 2019, he formed the Sangwon Association with his supporters with a focus on practicing and spreading Buddhist beliefs through retreats and religious walks.
The monk also kept cordial relationships with political figures, meeting with presidential candidates from both political parties and President Yoon.
He visited North Korea three times — in 2002, 2010, and 2011 — to promote Buddhist exchanges between the North and South.
Ven. Jaseung was also committed to supporting education and spreading Buddhist ideology among young people. He founded a committee for college students within the Sangwon Association this March, which raised 15.1 billion won ($11.62 million).
He held the chairmanship at a committee of his alma mater, Dongguk University, newly founded in 2021 to promote the school’s founding beliefs and offer scholarship programs. He donated 300 million won this January to the school.
“As an alumnus of Dongguk University, I want to give a sense of pride for people to confidently say, ‘I am a graduate of Dongguk University,’” he said during a press conference last week.
His memorial service commenced on Thursday at Jogye Temple and was concluded by a funeral service on Sunday. After the funeral, his body was moved to Yongju Temple in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province to be cremated.