Complaint filed with prosecution against top Jogye monks

Seoljeong / Yonhap

A Buddhist activist and a former journalist filed a complaint on Wednesday accusing two top monks at South Korea's largest Buddhist sect Jogye of embezzlement and breach of trust.

Cho Jae-hyun, a senior official of a Buddhist civic group, and Shin Hak-lim, a former journalist who headed the National Union of Media Workers, filed the complaint against the two monks with the Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office.

Ven. Seoljeong, the president of Jogye, was accused of having transferred about 194 million won ($179,345) since 2009 to two people suspected of being his secret daughter and her mother, while the other monk, Ven. Hyuneung, executive director of Jogye's monastic training, was alleged to have used a temple credit card for personal purposes.

Their alleged wrongdoing gained greater public attention after a local TV station broadcast the allegations. The two monks have denied the accusations against them. (Yonhap)