At the Council Meeting of the Abbots of the Headquarters Temples held on July 4 in the 4th-floor conference room of the Korean Buddhist History and Culture Memorial Hall, Most Ven. Jinwoo, the president of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, called for the entire four-fold community's participation in the International Seon Meditation Convention to showcase the 1700-year history and tradition of Korean Buddhism. "We want to impress the whole nation with the sacred and majestic Buddhist rituals and win their trust more firmly," said the president at the 2nd Council meeting of the Abbots in 2024, "and in September, we intend to hold a national-scale Supreme Buddhist Assembly.”

A special stage will be set up in Gwanghwamun Plaza and Uijeongbu Historic Square from September 23 to 28 to hold the 2024 International Seon Meditation Convention for Peace of Mind, Peace of the World. The first national Buddhist event to be organized under the auspices of Master Jungbong Seonpa, daejongsa, the supreme patriarch of the Jogye Order, with the aim of praying for the nation’s happiness as well as world peace, the event will consist of a traditional culture exhibition and experience event, the precept-reception ceremony, offerings to the sangha, an international Seon meditation convention and a national music concert.

The International Seon Meditation Convention, one of the event's highlights, will be held on September 28 from 5 pm for an hour when Most Ven. Jinwoo will watch a video introducing the Seon meditation and practice it with the gathering. Other internationally renowned meditation practitioners, including Dr Thubten Jinpa, an interpreter of the Dalai Lama and principal author of Compassion Cultivation Training™ (CCT©) developed at Stanford University, Chad Meng Tan, a meditation leader and former software engineer at Google, and Joan Halifax, an anthropologist and meditation teacher, will also be present.

Earlier in the day at 2 pm, a precept-reception ceremony will be officiated to initiate more than 30,000 Buddhists nationwide at the same time, to be followed by offerings to senior members of the monastic sangha at 3 pm in celebration of the Buddhist spirituality. At 7 pm, a concert will be held to pray for national unity, harmony, and peace.

From September 28 to 30, festivals celebrating the contemplative tradition will be held across the country simultaneously, including one for young people and foreigners at JustBe Temple in Seoul and another for artists at Kumuda in Busan.

Traditional cultural exhibitions will also be held around Uijeongbuji Historic Square from September 25 to 27. Visitors can enjoy firsthand experiences on wide-ranging subjects including meditation, tradition, youth, and templestay by joining the activities offered by exhibition booths amid traditional Korean paper lanterns adorning the venue that will be on display. 

The event will open with a welcome dinner and opening ceremony on September 27 from 4 pm to 7 pm at Bou-dang Pavilion, Bongeun-sa Temple in Seoul, and conclude with the closing ceremony after the international conference scheduled on October 1 from 10 am to 5 pm at the same venue.