Coexistence and Conflict between Buddhism and Protestantism in Modern Korea

On August 27, 2008, about 200,000 Buddhists gathered in crowds at the Seoul City Plaza at a meeting called the “All Buddhist Meeting of Korea.” This event is rarely held and only when Buddhism in Korea is at a critical moment. The main agenda of this meeting was the impeachment of President Lee’s Government for religious discrimination, especially against Buddhism. The Korean Buddhists were complaining against the religious propensity of the government. Last year’s case was the bursting forth of the accumulation of discontent and conflict between Buddhists and the government (or Christians). President Lee, also known as an elder of the Presbyterian Church, and his close staff members who all are Christians broke down the massive and intensive Buddhist protest. Buddhists had researched many cases in which government official speeches and administrative dispositions were pro-Christian. As a result of this meeting the Korean Government revised the National Public Service Law and the Local Officials Act according to the Buddhists’ demands for the forbidding of religious discrimination, and also created an Advisory Committee for Religious Discrimination of Public Officers in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.