By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
President Lee Myung-bak will announce Tuesday a set of measures to appease angry Buddhists, a spokesman of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) said Sunday.
``Lee's aides are now reviewing the elements that are to be included in the announcement,'' Rep. Cha Myeong-jin told reporters.
Cha said Lee's announcement could be made either at a Cabinet meeting or through his speech during a town hall meeting ― both are scheduled to take place on Tuesday. The town hall meeting will be televised live nationwide.
Cha, however, did not detail what measures are to be announced.
President Lee reportedly said that Buddhists leaders would have no hard feelings anymore if they get a sense of his sincerity. He made the remarks at a dinner with National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o late last week, GNP sources said.
The governing party also strove to mend fences with Buddhists.
A group of GNP lawmakers, including Rep. Na Kyung-won, submitted to the National Assembly a revision bill to codify a ban on public servants' discrimination based on religion.
If the bill is passed, government employees found to discriminate against people based on religion would be sentenced to imprisonment of up to one year.
Na told reporters the specific types of religious discrimination would be described in the presidential decree.
Na and three other GNP lawmakers also visited Jogye Temple in Seoul last week for talks with Buddhist leaders.
During the meeting, Ven. Jikwan made it clear that Lee should apologize for alleged discriminatory acts committed by him and his aides.
Buddhist groups singled out several incidents as evidence supporting the Lee administration's religious discrimination against Buddhists.
The evidence they put forth include Lee's picks of Christian officials in key government posts; the President's worship services at the presidential office in March; police's check-up of Jikwan's vehicle in July to see if he was involved in the protests against a U.S. beef imports deal.
Buddhists leaders and groups are also angered over inappropriate remarks made by key government post holders.
In June, former senior presidential secretary Choo Bu-ghil was reported to have described anti-American beef protestors as ``satanic.''
Choo stepped down after the controversial remarks were reported.
Buddhists also claimed Kim Hwang-sik, new head of the Board of Audit and Inspection, was appointed for the post after President Lee attended a Christian prayer meeting in June which was presided by Kim.