NEWS

South Korea’s Buddhist Jogye Order Responds to Coronavirus Outbreak

By Justin Whitaker | | Buddhistdoor Global

As South Korea experiences a rapid rise in cases of COVID-19—the official name for the coronavirus outbreak that emerging from China late last year—Buddhist organizations are finding ways to respond skillfully to the threat to the nation’s health and economy. Buddhist temples rescheduling and reducing services and public events in the face of the risk of further spreading the virus. Those that are continuing their schedule programs are offering hand sanitizers and face masks to attendees. The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Korea jumped this week to 156 after an infected woman attended a Shincheonji Church of Jesus service in the southeastern city of Daegu, resulting in the infection of dozens of fellow worshippers. Daegu is the country’s fourth-largest city and home to some 2.4 million people. Korea also reported its first death from the virus, a 63-year-old man who died of pneumonia on 19 February in the southeastern city of Cheongdo. Officials responded on Friday by designating both Daegu and Cheongdo as “special care zones.” Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyung vowed that the government would take “strong and swift” action, emphasizing: “The government will take special measures by declaring the Daegu and Cheongdo areas as special care zones as a sudden rise in confirmed cases was reported there.” (Yonhap News Agency)

In Seoul, public rallies are temporarily banned and all church services connected to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus will be closed. The capital is also closing down more than 3,000 social welfare facilities as a measure to prevent the spread of the virus. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the country’s largest Buddhist order, has its main temple in Insadong, a popular tourist neighborhood in the heart of Seoul. “We have seen the number of visitors to the temple fall over the past few weeks,” an official from the temple said this week. “We had to cancel three rounds of events for tourists as people have called off trips to the country. We are still running our temple-stay programs but are taking strict measures, such as checking people’s previous destinations and making sure they don’t show symptoms.” The official added that guests taking part in the temple-stay program would be given face masks. (Yonhap News Agency)

The Jogye Order has ordered temples across the country to cancel large group events, while allowing individual temples to determine specific responses to the virus. “We also sent out hygiene rules that should be followed at all temples in Korea,” said Jogye Order official Ven. Lim Yoong-chang. “Also, local headquarters near Daegu like Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, and Beomeosa Temple in Busan are expected to come up with their own policies on responding to the virus outbreak.” (The Korea Herald)