Who was elected to lead the Jogye Order and by what margin?

Ven. Jinwoo was elected for another term as leader of Korea’s biggest Buddhist sect. He received 57 percent of the vote and defeated Ven. Gyeongwoo, who took 43 percent.

When will Ven. Jinwoo begin his new term as Jogye Order leader?

His four-year term is scheduled to begin on Sept. 28. The elders assembly must approve the election before the term starts.

What did Ven. Jinwoo say after winning the Jogye Order election?

He said he would wholeheartedly devote himself to ushering in a new century for Korean Buddhism. He also vowed to embrace everyone who took part in the election and to stabilize the order while making Buddhism younger and more dynamic.

Jogye Order elects Ven. Jinwoo as new leader

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Summary

Ven. Jinwoo was elected Thursday to lead Korea’s biggest Buddhist sect for another term. He won 57 percent of the vote, defeating Ven. Gyeongwoo, and will begin a four-year term on Sept. 28 after approval by the elders assembly. Jinwoo said he would devote himself to ushering in a new century for Korean Buddhism and make the order younger and more dynamic.

Key Facts

Ven. Jinwoo became only the second person in the Jogye Order’s history to win a second term, following Ven. Jaseung in 2013.
Jinwoo won 57 percent of the vote, while Ven. Gyeongwoo received 43 percent.
The new term is set to begin on Sept. 28 after approval from the order’s elders assembly.
As leader, Jinwoo will oversee about 3,500 temples and 12,000 monks affiliated with the Jogye Order nationwide.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 3, 2026 3:50 pm KST
Updated Sep 3, 2026 4:36 pm KST

Ven. Jinwoo attends a Buddhist reporting ceremony at Jogyesa Temple in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Ven. Jinwoo, the current leader of the Jogye Order, was elected as the leader of Korea's biggest Buddhist sect for another term Thursday.

Jinwoo won 57 percent of the vote to beat Ven. Gyeongwoo, who earned 43 percent of the ballot.

Jinwoo is the second person in the Jogye Order's history to win a second term since Ven. Jaseung was elected for his second term in 2013.

"I will wholeheartedly devote myself to ushering in a new century for Korean Buddhism," Jinwoo said after winning the election.

He also vowed to embrace everyone who took part in the election and to stabilize the order while making Buddhism younger and more dynamic.

As the leader of the country's biggest Buddhist sect, he will oversee some 3,500 temples and 12,000 monks associated with the Jogye Order across the country.

He is set to begin his four-year term on Sept. 28 after receiving approval from the order's elders assembly.

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