Art Exhibition opened as a reminder of the

“Dharma Persecution on Oct. 27, 1980”

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism opened an art exhibition in the lobby of the Memorial Hall of Korean Buddhist History and Culture in Seoul, to remind the public of the Dharma Persecution that occurred on Oct. 27, 1980.

The Dharma Persecution on Oct. 27, 1980 refers to the day when the Korean government suddenly suppressed Buddhist monks and lay people by force, all under the pretext of the purification of Korean Buddhism. About two thousand Buddhist monks nationwide were forcefully hauled away, threatened and secretly tortured.    

The Committee for restoring victims’ reputation from the 10.27 Dharma Persecution, set up after this incident, sponsored this commemorative art exhibition. It encouraged the public to participate in the contest and exhibition by submitting artwork that demonstrates, represent, or calls to mind the day. In total, 93 artworks in such various formats as drawing, carved printing, sculpture, crafts, and photography were collected. The panel of judges carefully selected 43 artworks for awards. 

The grand prize was given to Ms. Hwaeon Kim whose artwork was entitled, “Prayer.” Professor Daeyeol Kim, one of the judges, said that they selected those 16 artworks that best fit the theme of Dharma Persecution with the highest quality of art. The piece, “Prayer,” expresses the deep and firm will to overcome the sorrow from the Dharma Persecution, conveying the message in a very modern and powerful style by using the contrasting effects of black and white.

The award ceremony was held at 2:00 pm on October 27 with the audience present, and the exhibition ran for 5 days from October 23-28. Ven. Jaseung, President of Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, stated, “I hope this exhibition will help all of us keep in mind the incident that occurred on October 27.”

Ven. Jihyeon, the head of the committee for restoring victims’ reputation from the 10.27 Dharma Persecution, emphasized that we should remember this event so as not to go through this type of disaster ever again in the future. He also stressed unity and cooperation within Buddhist communities.