Venerable Myungjin, Former Head Monk of Bongeunsa Temple, Passes Away in Freediving Accident off Jeju Coast

Passed Away at 75
Funeral Arrangements Under Discussion at Namsunsa Temple in Jeju

Venerable Myungjin, who served as the head monk of Bongeunsa Temple, passed away on the 22nd.

Venerable Myungjin, the former head monk of Bongeunsa Temple, passed away on the 22nd. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to acquaintances of Venerable Myungjin, he suffered an accident while freediving in the sea off Jeju Island earlier that morning.

The police are currently investigating the exact circumstances of the accident. It has been reported that funeral arrangements are being discussed at Namsunsa Temple in Jeju, where Venerable Myungjin was staying.

Born in 1950 in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, Venerable Myungjin entered the priesthood at Baengnyeonam Hermitage of Haeinsa Temple in 1969 and received his novice monk precepts in 1974. He served as a member of the 11th Jogye Order Central Council and was vice chairperson of the Central Council from 1998 to 2002. From 2006 to 2010, he was the head monk of Bongeunsa Temple in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Venerable Myungjin had openly criticized the executive branch of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism through interviews and Dharma talks. As a result, in 2017, the Jogye Order stripped him of his monk status.

However, in the disciplinary nullification lawsuit filed by Venerable Myungjin, both the first and second instance courts ruled in his favor. Earlier this year, the matter was effectively settled when both the Jogye Order and Venerable Myungjin agreed not to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Venerable Myungjin was also a Vietnam War veteran and was subjected to illegal civilian surveillance by the National Intelligence Service during the Lee Myung-bak administration.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.