We express our deep shock and grave regret regarding the cancellation of the “Religious Leaders’ Forum for Freedom, Peace, and the Reunification of Korea and Graduation Ceremony” that was scheduled to be held at the Imjingak Peace Nuri in Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea, on October 30th. This was a global and international event where more than 30,000 participants from 57 countries were to gather to discuss peace and celebrate religious freedom. However, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization unilaterally notified us of the venue cancellation on the day of the event without any prior notice.
The Republic of Korea has been recognized as a global advanced nation, distinguished by its sophisticated culture and high level of civic consciousness. We are appalled that such a nation is now perpetrating irresponsible and violent administrative actions that violate the constitutional principles of religious freedom and separation of church and state. The event preparations were carried out legally over several months, and even the day before the event, we received explicit confirmation that “there were no plans to cancel the venue reservation.” Nevertheless, on the day of the event, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization succumbed to pressure from privileged Christian groups and unilaterally cancelled the venue reservation. We find the grounds for cancellation incomprehensible. Given that other events have proceeded at the same venue without any restrictions, it is evident that the sudden cancellation by the Gyeonggi Provincial Government and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization constitutes religious oppression through abuse of public authority. Is this how biased and arbitrary administrative decisions are made in the Republic of Korea? How can any citizen trust and follow the nation’s administrative system when it has lost its principles, fairness, and transparency?
The venue cancellation has resulted in losses of tens of billions of won invested in event preparations, and the psychological damage suffered by participants from around the world is far more severe. Religious freedom has been ruthlessly trampled upon, and the Republic of Korea’s national dignity and credibility have plummeted. How can this possibly be compensated? We demand accountability for this situation and call for an official apology. The Gyeonggi Provincial Government and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization must acknowledge their responsibility for this incident and formally apologize to both domestic and international religious organizations and the global community. Appropriate disciplinary actions must be taken against the officials responsible for handling this matter to restore Korea’s reputation as a nation where the rule of law and principles prevail. Furthermore, to prevent any future discriminatory and biased administrative actions based on demands from privileged groups, it is imperative to strengthen fair and transparent venue reservation procedures and preliminary consultation systems.
We strongly urge the Republic of Korea to respect the religious freedom and human rights guaranteed by its Constitution. If this incident, which has undermined the fundamental principles and common sense of a democratic society, is left unaddressed, the nation’s dignity and credibility will be irreparably damaged, and the foundation of respect and harmony that sustains our society will collapse. The Governor of Gyeonggi Province, who bears responsibility for all these events, must formally apologize to the 30,000 religious leaders and distinguished individuals from various sectors across 57 countries who were scheduled to attend this event. Furthermore, to ensure that our collective efforts to protect religious freedom and fairness in the Republic of Korea are not in vain, we demand prompt action from the government and a response to this statement