South Korea’s largest Buddhist order, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, has called for the withdrawal of proposed legislation that would provide state support for World Youth Day (WYD) Seoul 2027, arguing that the measure violates the constitutional separation of religion and state. The proposed “Special Act on Supporting World Youth Day Seoul 2027” has been pending before the National Assembly since November 2024.

Speaking to the UCA News agence on 22 November, Venerable Sungwang of the Jogye Order stated that “the bill clearly violates the constitution.” (UCA News) He emphasized that the Jogye Order’s concerns were directed toward the government and lawmakers rather than the Catholic Church itself. According to Ven. Sungwang, all 61 voting members of the Central Council of the Jogye Order had unanimously opposed the bill during their general meeting on 19 November.

The Jogye Order represents roughly 70 per cent of South Korea’s Buddhist temples and functions as the highest decision-making body of Korean Buddhism. In an official statement following the meeting, council members cited the constitutional principle that “the state cannot support a specific religion, and religious organizations must not exercise political power,” and further argued that the legislation would channel public resources into “a religious event for Catholic evangelization, not an international event that guarantees public value for Korean society.” (UCA News)

World Youth Day is scheduled to take place from 29 July–8 August 2027, with the Archdiocese of Seoul preparing to welcome an estimated one million participants for the closing Mass. While Catholic leaders acknowledged that the event is religious in nature, they have insisted that government support is necessary for crowd safety, transportation, logistics, and inter-agency coordination. The proposed “Special Act on Supporting World Youth Day Seoul 2027” has been pending before the National Assembly since November 2024.

At a 27 October press briefing, the WYD Organizing Committee announced that it had concluded the basic planning phase with the Vatican. Bishop Lee Kyung-sang, who heads the committee, noted in September that the event would be “three times the size of the Olympics” and would require substantial public-sector cooperation. (UCA News)

Bishop Lee explained that organizers intended to request about 50 billion won (US$34 million) in governmental support out of a total estimated budget of 300 billion won, emphasizing that any such funding would be allocated for public safety rather than ecclesial activities.

The ongoing dispute follows earlier objections from the Interreligious Reform Civil Coalition, a network of 29 groups from Korea’s five major religions. The coalition warned that granting what it called “institutional preferential treatment” to one religious tradition would breach the constitution. (UCA News) Their concerns intensified public debate over the appropriateness of state involvement in large-scale religious events.

Catholic Church leaders have attempted to address these concerns by highlighting the broader civic dimension of the gathering, stressing the need for a pan-government framework, particularly as Pope Leo XIV is expected to attend as a state guest. Organizers also expressed hope that the event could foster inter-religious harmony by offering cultural and youth programs open to all and by seeking possible cooperation with Buddhist temples for lodging.

Fr. Joseph Young-je Lee of the WYD Organizing Committee told UCA News on 25 November that the Jogye Order’s statement had been conveyed to the Archbishop of Seoul. He added that the Church would issue an official response after internal discussions were completed.

The Jogye Order has stated that it does not oppose World Youth Day itself but emphasized that taxpayer funds should not be used to support a specific religious event. The order further warned that the proposed legislation risked setting “a bad precedent of collusion between politics and religion.” (UCA News)

Buddhism is one of South Korea’s largest religious traditions, with an estimated 10–15 million adherents, although census data vary due to differing survey methods and the country’s high rate of non-affiliation. The Catholic population, while smaller at roughly 11 per cent of the population, has grown steadily over recent decades. Religion-state relations have periodically surfaced in public debate in South Korea, most notably around issues of equitable public funding and religious representation in national ceremonies.

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Korean Buddhist group opposes govt support for World Youth Day (UCA News)
Korean Buddhist group opposes govt support for World Youth Day (Herald Malaysia Online)

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