Blocking the Construction of Kaya Mountain Haein Golf Course, Blockading the Entrance Gates to the Mountains Being Considered.The opposition by the Buddhist world and civic groups to the construction of a golf course inside the grounds of Kaya Mountain National Park is growing more fierce. 110 scholars of various academic backgrounds have expressed their opposition to and are trying to block the construction of the 'Haein Golf Course', being built between the ridge of Kaya Mountain and Haeinsa Temple.With this support behind them, the Haeinsa Temple's Countermeasure Committee (headed by Chisan Su Nim), in an effort to bolster unity, organized a gathering of all the people opposed to the construction of the golf course in Kaya Mountain on July 15. Moreover, it was decided at the gathering that petitions would be made available at all Seon centers and Buddhist seminaries in Korea for the public to sign. It was also decided that, should the need arise, they would go so far as to blockade the mountain gates to prevent the construction of the golf course. The Environmental Movement Union, Koryong Town Citizen's Countermeasure Committee, and other related groups also have plans to hold a large assembly in Seoul during this time. Chisan Su Nim is worried that, "if a golf course is built near Haeinsa Temple, where the Tripitaka Koreana, one of the world's most profound treasures, are preserved, not only will this clearly bring great harm to the scriptures but it will also be inviting the destruction of nature." The construction of the Kaya Mountain Haein Golf Course has become a pressing societal problem ever since a high court recently reversed the decision by the Ministry of Culture and Sports to disallow the construction of the golf course. |