On January 12 at noon, Most Ven. Jinwoo, President of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, met with President Lee Jae-myung in the Inwang Room on the first floor of the Blue House’s main building. They shared a luncheon with other religious leaders to mark the New Year and emphasized their commitment to collaborating with the government to promote peace of mind and mental security.

Most Ven. Jinwoo, who serves as Co-chair of the Korean Religious Leaders Council, delivered remarks on behalf of religious leaders at the luncheon titled “The Path to National Unity Through Religion.” At the luncheon, held at the invitation of President Lee Jae-myung, he pointed out that our country has the world’s highest suicide rate and expressed the need for the government and religious communities to actively work together to resolve this issue.

“The security of people’s minds is as important as the security of the nation,” said the President of the Buddhist order. He added, “We face structural problems such as the world's highest suicide rate, ultra-low birth rate, aging population, and a low ranking on the happiness index. These are signs that people are deeply weary in their hearts.”

He further emphasized, “If we fail to resolve these issues, it will be difficult to consider ourselves a truly advanced nation based solely on material and economic achievements. While the government is responsible for facilitating the material foundations of life for its people through systems and policies, the religious community must also take responsibility for the peace of mind and spiritual stability of the people. Based on the respect for each other's faiths, we aim to collaborate in common areas such as meditation and healing the mind.”

He added, "I believe the President and everyone else here share the same desire for peace and tranquility for the nation and its people," and proposed, "Let us continue to work together to ensure the peace of mind and mental security of the people."