HAEINSA TEMPLE WILLING TO BLOCKADE ENTRANCE GATES TO MOUNTAIN IF NECESSARY

HAEINSA TEMPLE WILLING TO BLOCKADE ENTRANCE GATES TO MOUNTAIN IF NECESSARY

Gathering to Unite in Battle Against Construction of Kaya Mountain Golf Course To Be Held on July 15

110 Leading Figures, Including Wolju Su Nim, Urge Abolishing of Consent

Haeinsa Temple has said that they are willing to blockade the entrance gates to the mountain if necessary to block the construction of Kaya Mountain Haein Golf Course inside National Park, as the movements of different groups protesting the construction of the golf course stepped up their actions.

The Haein Comprehensive Counteraction Committee(Songpob Su Nim, committee chairman and abbot of Haeinsa Temple), in charge of stopping the construction of Haein Golf Course, held an emergency meeting on July 2 and it was at this meeting the committee decided that they would blockade the entrance gates to the mountain if necessary. The committee also decided to hold a gathering on July 15 to unite everyone in purpose where, beginning with the abbot of Ponmalsa Temple, 1000 bhiksus, bhiksunis, upasakas, and upasikas, are expected to participate.

Not only have all of the country's 18 Buddhist seminaries and 64 Seon centers joined forces to form a movement protesting the construction of the golf course, they have also decided to launch a nationwide petition. Scholar monks from Haein Seminary have been taking walks of prayer four times a day for eight hours since July 8 and they plan to continue this ritual until the approval of the construction plans for the golf course is abolished.

The dispute over the construction of the golf course has taken an even more serious turn as there is great concern over the damage that can be done to the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks(National Treasure No. 32), last year inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, if a golf course were to be built nearby.

There is concern that the destruction of the forest will disrupt the natural order and changes in the geographical features and direction of wind, and the spraying of toxic agricultural chemicals will produce harmful effects on the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks, preserved in a separate storehouse.

Chi San Se Nim from the counteraction committee added, "the construction of a golf course near Haeinsa Temple, where the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks are stored, is a national disgrace." He has promised to begin work on thoroughly examining the potential harmful effects of building a golf course nearby.

Earlier, Chisan Su Nim revealed that, on July 1, 110 leading figures representing different sections of society gathered together at the Cecil Restaurant in Seoul and there they 'declared an all-out war on abolishing the consent given to build Haein Golf Course.'

Among the people present at this declaration were Wolju Su Nim, head of general affairs of Chogye Order, Li Se Chung, joint leader/president of Environmental Movement Union, Korean poet Ko Un, Kwon Suk P'yo, emeritus professor at Yonsei University, and Members of Parliament, Kim Sang Hyon, Chang Ul Pyong, and Li Pu Yong.

They protested the decision by the Seoul High Court to overrule the Ministry of Culture and Sports' decision to rescind the original consent given to build the golf course, claiming the decision by the high court "is clearly one that is not in the best interests of the environment as it pours cold water on efforts to protect National Park, a public park created for the people of Korea and the generations to come." They also demanded the administration of justice to reconsider its decision.

The Ministry of Culture and Sports also objected to the decision handed down by the Seoul High Court and has plans to soon appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. The Taegu and Kyungbuk Counteraction Committees run campaigns every week protesting the construction of Haein Golf Course, hang banners on the office buildings of affiliated groups, and are encouraging people to boycott the palace wedding hall owned by Kim Son Kuk, president of Kaya Development Corporation.

The two committees also plan to appeal the decision by the high court to both the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court, and to start a movement to have 1 million people sign the petitions.