 |
| In this photo taken on Aug. 26, 2022, the chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), Kim Jin-wook speaks during the unveiling ceremony of the group's new corporate logo. Newsis |
By Lee Hae-rin
Kim Jin-wook, the chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) is facing pressure to resign after singing a Christian hymn during the group's New Year commencement meeting on Monday.
During the meeting, Kim introduced German Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer's poem titled, "Von guten Machten," ("By Good Forces") and sang a contemporary Christian hymn with lyrics from the poem, according to the legal circle, Thursday. Known as a devout Christian, Kim was overwhelmed with emotions and cried.
The Christian poem was written by Bonhoeffer in 1944 when he was in prison for resisting the Nazis.
Kim's actions drew fierce criticism from the Buddhist community here.
The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the country's biggest Buddhist sect, released a statement later that day calling for Kim's resignation.
The order said that "there is no room for excuses" regarding Kim's actions, which revealed his religion. As the head of the CIO, he should maintain a politically and religiously neutral stance.
Kim released a statement of apology in response.
In the released statement, Kim said his intention behind singing the hymn during the official event was to "collect the CIO officials' strengths and knowledge to overcome difficulties and meet people's expectations." Regardless of the intention, Kim admitted that it was inappropriate for a high-ranking official and anti-corruption watchdog leader to act in ways that could seem to lean towards a particular religion.
"I sincerely apologize for causing trouble and discomfort to the Buddhist community … I will make sure that this does not occur again and maintain a politically and religiously neutral stance," he said.
![[ANALYSIS] Tesla, BYD's price cuts unnerve LGES, Samsung, SK](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/b1cf8ba68d474cb69352bfe7ea9d14f0.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] How ATEEZ achieved worldwide success](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/c7723b56dde94eb4b260950d368fe8fb.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
