October 27th Buddhist Persecution
| October 27th Buddhist Persecution | |
|---|---|
Sign on the incident at Jogyesa | |
| Date | October 27, 1980 |
| Location | South Korea |
| Lead figures | |
Ven. Wolju | |
| Casualties | |
| Arrested | 1,929 |
The October 27th Buddhist Persecution (Korean: 십이칠 법난) is an incident when the Chun Doo-hwan government arrested and investigated monks and personnel of the Jogye Order in 1980 in order to "purify the Buddhist community". 153 people were arrested and investigated on October 27 and another 1,776 people were arrested three days later in order to punish "impure elements". Considered an abuse of state power under martial law and violation of religious freedom,[1] it has been described by the Buddhist community as the most disgraceful incident in Korean Buddhism after the liberation of Korea.[2]
Background
The Emergency Committee for National Protection promoted the "three stage social purification plan" in June 1980 and planned the purge of the religious community from October. From September, it collected information on corruption of the Jogye Order and ordered an investigation. Although the government claimed that the Buddhist community being corrupt and incapable of self-purification was the reason of the incident, the real reason is thought to be that the headquarter of the Jogye Order had visited Gwangju to support the victims of the Gwangju Uprising and Ven. Wolju, the president of the Jogye Order, refused to support Chun due to separation of religion and state.[1]
Incident and aftermath
On October 27, 1980, the Martial Law Headquarters arrested 153 Buddhist figures including Ven. Wolju. Of the 153 people, 18 were criminally charged, 3 were sent to Samchung re-education camp, 24 were confined at Heungguksa, 32 were disciplined by the Buddhist Purification Council, and 60 were found not guilty.[3]
On October 30, 30,000 armed soldiers and police officers were mobilized to search 5,700 temples and hermitages across the country and 1,776 additional people were arrested. The victims were detained at Seobinggo Detention Center or local security forces and questioned for 20 days.[1] Detectives demanded that they “confess their corruption or crime honestly" and those who denied the accusations were beaten or tortured.[4] Also, Ven. Wolju was forced to resign although the four people who sent anonymous letters accusing him of corruption were later punished for false accusation.[5]
Reparation
From the late 1980s, the Buddhist community sought for the truth of the incident and the restoration of honor for the victims. In 1988, Prime Minister Kang Young-hoon issued an official government apology. In 2007, the Ministry of National Defense established a truth commission and investigated the incident. Based on the findings, the Act on the Restoration of Honor of Victims of the October 27th Buddhist Persecution Incident was enacted by the National Assembly in 2008.[1] The law promises to cover the victims' medical expenses and build an educational center on the incident.[6]
The memorial hall on the incident is scheduled to be completed in 2028 on the grounds of Bongeunsa.[7]
References
- ^ a b c d Lee, Hye-yeong (2021). "10·27법난". Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Academy of Korean Studies.
- ^ Choi, Song & Kim 2012, p. 441.
- ^ Choi, Song & Kim 2012, p. 450.
- ^ Jeong, Gyo-yong (1992-01-17). "(32)10·27법난 종교수난(1)". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean).
- ^ "신군부 '10.27법난' 새로 밝혀진 사실들". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). 2007-10-25.
- ^ Choi, Song & Kim 2012, p. 455.
- ^ Jin, Dal-lae (2025-04-07). "조계종, 10·27법난기념관 건립 설계공모 심사결과 발표". Bulgyo Sinmun (in Korean).
Cited journal
- Choi, Eung-ryul; Song, Bong-gyu; Kim, Jong-gil (2012). "10·27법난 피해자의 명예회복방안에 관한 연구" [A Study on Honor-Restoration for 10·27 Buddhist Persecution Victims]. Korean Journal of Victimology (in Korean). 20 (1): 441–459 – via DBpia.