Probe Triggers Backlash From Buddhists
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Buddhist groups urged the prosecution to stop investigations that they claimed slander the Buddhist community amid ongoing probes involving a degree scammer Shin Jeong-ah, former presidential secretary for policy planning Byeon Yang-kyoon and several Buddhist monks.
An association of Korean Buddhist sects made a joint statement after an emergency meeting Friday and asked the prosecution to investigate the case fairly and the media to report it responsibly.
The association, comprised of 27 sects including the Jogye Order, Taego Order and Cheontae Order, said the case of the diploma fabricator is being distorted.
Shin was employed at the Buddhist-run Dongguk University in 2005 utilizing forged degrees, and Ven. Yeongbae, chief of the school's board of directors, allegedly tried to cover up the forgery.
In exchange for the monk's protection of Shin, her alleged patron Byeon abused his power to grant government subsidies to Yeongbae's temple. It is also suspected Byeon peddled influence to expand financial support to several other temples and other projects related to Buddhism.
The group said, ``We feel sorry and responsible that the diploma forgery case started from a Buddhist-run university. However, we worry that the case has expanded to issues unrelated to the core of the case, such as a high-ranking official's influence peddling. The case has also been distorted with speculations that the Buddhist community is corrupt.''
The representatives of the groups said the prosecution and the media have spread unconfirmed allegations. ``Some media make reports as if the state subsidies provided to temples through normal procedures and screening were wrong and were corrupt. We see such reports as a systematic slander of the Buddhist community,'' they said.
The association requested the prosecution to investigate the case fairly and transparently based on the law, adding they would take legal action on baseless and suggestive reports.
An official of the Jogye Order said only 10 temples were currently receiving state subsidies in an indirect manner and so there was little chance of illegalities being involved.
``Speculative articles are rampant, for example, that the Jogye Order paid rent for Byeon's temporary residence and that a monk gave a huge sum of money to Shin. Reporting such rumors is an attempt to damage the Buddhist community, as such speculation could easily be proven false through a simple investigation,'' he said.