“Efforts Made to Safeguard Human Rights from Infringements on Religious Liberties”

An administrative decision made by a South Korean government agency has sparked international outrage and caused significant financial loss after an international event was abruptly cancelled without prior notice.

The event, entitled the “Religious Leaders Forum and Graduation Ceremony,” was organized by two prominent religious organizations and was set to take place in Paju, South Korea. It was expected to draw over 30,000 participants from 78 countries, including 1,000 religious leaders representing Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism.

However, on 29 October, the Gyeonggi Tourism Organisation, a public entity under Gyeonggi Province, cancelled the venue rental for the event. The last-minute decision has resulted in considerable financial damage for the international event, causing international controversy and raising concerns over religious freedom.

The hosting organizations, the Association for Buddhist National Unification of Korea and the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, have stated that they received official confirmation on 23 and 28 October that the event would proceed as planned. They have also emphasized that the unilateral cancellation is an unconstitutional act of discrimination against a particular religion, violating religious freedom, human rights, and due process of law.

The cancellation of the event has drawn criticism for its potential violation of the principle of separation of church and state, as other events scheduled for the same day were allowed to proceed within the designated area. The Gyeonggi Tourism Organisation cited security concerns related to recent North Korean actions and the planned activities of a North Korean defector group as reasons for the cancellation.

However, the hosting organizations have called this reasoning into question, noting that other events such as civilian bike rides and foreign tourist visits to the DMZ were allowed to take place within the same designated area. They have also suggested that the cancellation may have been influenced by opposition from a specific religious group, which would go against the country’s constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.

This incident has reignited international debate about religious freedom and tolerance in South Korea. The U.S. State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report has previously raised concerns about the country’s treatment of religious groups, including the prosecution of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus and the government’s refusal to approve the construction of a mosque.

In light of these concerns, the Association for Buddhist National Unification of Korea and the Shincheonji Church of Jesus are calling on the South Korean government to respect religious freedom, uphold human rights, and reverse this unjust decision. They also urge international organizations to monitor the situation and take appropriate action to protect religious freedom.