SEOUL, South Korea --
South Korea's President Lee Myung-Bak apologised Tuesday to the
nation's Buddhists following nationwide protests against alleged
religious bias by his administration.
<< South Korean President Lee
Myung-Bak
Lee, a Christian, was speaking at a Cabinet meeting, which
approved regulations banning religious discrimination by public
servants.
"It is deeply regrettable that some government officials
offended the Buddhist community -- even if they did not not mean to
-- with such words and behaviour as could cause misunderstanding
about a religious bias," he said.
Leaders of the country's 10 million Buddhists -- outnumbered by
13.7 million Christians -- had threatened more mass protests unless
Lee apologised.
The Buddhist dispute, rare in a country that guarantees freedom
of religion, follows months of street rallies against US beef
imports, which rocked Lee's administration.
Buddhists have been uneasy over what they see as a Christian
bias since Lee, a Presbyterian Church elder, came to power on
February 25.
The largest Order, the Jogye, lists on its website 23 cases of
alleged favouritism, including the appointments of Protestants to
major government posts.
An online map published by two ministries, showing Seoul's
churches but not major Buddhist temples, also sparked anger.
Tensions grew in July when police stopped a car carrying Jigwan,
the Jogye Order's head monk, outside the temple and searched the
boot.
Police were then searching for illegal anti-US rally organisers
who had taken refuge in the Jogyesa temple.
Tens of thousands of Buddhists staged a massive rally in Seoul
in late August, demanding that the police chief be sacked, and Lee
apologise and enact a law to ban religious discrimination.
Police chief Eo Cheong-Soo, who is Christian, has apologised and
disciplined two senior officers.
Lee told Cabinet ministers on Tuesday to ensure officials stay
neutral in religious matters but did not address the demands to
sack Eo.
However, he instructed the police chief to visit the Jogyesa
temple to apologise to the head monk.
"Regardless of the motives behind the search, the police chief
has to visit Buddhist leaders and offer an apology. He must also
promise to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents," he
said.
The president was expected to reiterate his determination to
maintain religious neutrality during a 100-minute "town hall"
meeting starting at 10pm (1300 GMT) and to be televised live.
