Venerable Jeong-Nyeom, who served as abbot of Woljeongsa, has officially declared his candidacy for the 38th Executive Director of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. With incumbent Executive Director Venerable Jin-Woo widely expected to seek another term, and Venerable Gyeong-U of Seonunsa in Gochang beginning the steps toward a run by stepping down as abbot, the election scheduled for September 3 is expected to become a three-way race.

Venerable Jeong-Nyeom held a press conference on the 6th at the Korean Buddhist History and Culture Memorial Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and declared his bid, saying “New leadership is needed to reform the order”. Through his declaration of candidacy titled ‘Now, I set out from the mountain gate’, he cited decreases in ordained monastics and in young and teenage Buddhists, and a survival crisis facing regional temples, and pointed out that “On top of this, concerns about the closed nature of decision-making and financial opacity are piling up, shaking even trust in the order”.

Venerable Jeong-Nyeom stated, “A practitioner steps forward on vows, not calculations”, and emphasized, “I will not seek a second term and will devote my utmost to this term under a one-term pledge”. He also presented five policy directions: an order that builds trust through practice; an order that decides together through public deliberation; decentralization that devolves authority and finances to the districts; welfare that takes responsibility from ordination to parinirvana; and Buddhism as a center of healing in the AI(artificial intelligence) era.

Venerable Jeong-Nyeom received the novice precepts in 1980 under Venerable Hee-Chan as his teacher, served as abbot of Sangwonsa, and since 2004 has served for 22 years as abbot of Woljeongsa, the head temple of the Jogye Order 4th district in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province.

On the same day, Venerable Gyeong-U, abbot of Seonunsa, the head temple of the Jogye Order 24th district, submitted his resignation as abbot to the Executive Office and announced his intention to run for executive director. He issued a statement titled ‘Stepping down from the post of abbot of Seonunsa’ and emphasized, “Korean Buddhism now stands at a crossroads between a great leap forward and regression”, adding, “In the face of the surging wave of change, what our order must first set right is the fundamental spirit and identity of the Sangha”. Venerable Gyeong-U received the novice precepts in 1985, served as abbot of Cheongyeonsa and Janggyeongsa and as chief secretary of the Executive Office, and was appointed abbot of Seonunsa in 2023.

With incumbent Executive Director Venerable Jin-Woo expected to seek another term, the possibility of unifying a single ‘opposition’ candidate cannot be ruled out. Venerable Gyeong-U attended the press conference at which Venerable Jeong-Nyeom announced his candidacy. Asked about unification, Venerable Jeong-Nyeom answered, “If a candidate with good policy proposals emerges who can win ample public support, the door is always open to join forces”. Venerable Gyeong-U plans to hold a press conference regarding his bid on the 10th.

The election for executive director, who is responsible for the administration of the Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist order in the country, will be held on the 3rd of next month from 1 to 3 p.m. through an indirect vote by an electoral college of 321 members. The candidate registration period runs from the 11th to the 13th.