WORLD NEWS: South Korean local government cancels international event with 30,000 participants from 78 countries, causing international damage
Andre Johnson 
On October 29, an administrative decision by a South Korean government agency sparked international controversy, raising concerns about religious freedom and causing substantial financial loss.
The “Religious Leaders Forum and Graduation Ceremony,” a joint initiative by two prominent religious organizations, was set to take place in Paju, South Korea.
The event was expected to draw over 30,000 participants from 57 countries, including 1,000 religious leaders representing Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism.
However, the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, a public entity under Gyeonggi Province, abruptly canceled the venue rental without prior notice. This last-minute decision has resulted in significant financial damage to the international event.
Organizers of this event stated that the cancellation constitutes an unconstitutional act of discrimination against a specific religion, violating religious freedom, human rights, and due process of law.
The hosting organizations, the Association for Buddhist National Unification of Korea and Shincheonji Church of Jesus, said that they had received official confirmation on October 23 and 28 that there was no plan of cancellation.
They also said that the unilateral cancellation was an unreasonable administrative action targeting a specific religious group.
They further emphasize that other events scheduled for the same day were not affected, suggesting that the cancellation was “administrative decision caused by opposition from a specific religious group,” which “violates the principle of separation of church and state guaranteed by the Constitution.”
The Gyeonggi Tourism Organization cited security concerns related to recent North Korean actions and the planned activities of a North Korean defector group as reasons for the cancellation.
However, it was pointed out that other events, such as civilian bike rides and foreign tourist visits to the DMZ, were permitted within the same designated area.
The incident has reignited international debate about religious freedom and tolerance in South Korea.
The U.S. State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report has previously highlighted concerns such as the prosecution of Shincheonji Church of Jesus and the government’s refusal to approve mosque construction.
The Association for Buddhist National Unification of Korea and Shincheonji Church of Jesus call upon the South Korean government to respect religious freedom, uphold human rights, and rectify this unjust decision.
They urge international organizations to monitor this situation and take appropriate action to protect religious freedom.
For The Fourth Time, More Than 100,000 Theology Students Graduate In One Year
NEW YORK — The Zion Christian Mission Center of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, held its 115th graduation ceremony at the Shincheonji Cheongju Church on October 30.
The total number of graduates was 111,628.
This was the world’s largest graduation ceremony and a record-breaking achievement for Shincheonji Church, marking the fourth time that its mission center has produced more than 100,000 theology student graduates in a single year since 2019.
The graduation was scheduled to be held at Imjingak Peace Nuri in Paju-city, South Korea. The rental, however, was suddenly canceled the day before the event, requiring the church to find an alternative location for the ceremony.
Despite the last-minute change in venue, the event was held with an unprecedented number of participants, including about 10,000 overseas graduates and 1,000 foreign religious figures who visited Korea to attend the ceremony.
“Today, in this world, there is no place other than Shincheonji that masters the Book of Revelation,” said Shincheonji Church Chairman Man-Hee Lee in a lecture before the graduation ceremony.
“Shincheonji can testify to the prophecies of the Book of Revelation and its reality because there is a pastor who received the book in Chapter 10 of Revelation and saw and heard the events of Chapters 22, eight, and 16 directly at the scene,” Chairman Lee added.
He also emphasized that now that they have graduated, the graduates should become capable enough to teach others and help them graduate as well.
Zion Christian Mission Center Director Tan Young-jin noted that this year’s graduates include 3,377 pastors. Currently, 6,203 pastors are attending the mission center and studying the entirety of the Bible, including all 22 chapters of the Book of Revelation.
“Shincheonji is the only church that has grown by more than 100,000 people every year, and this is surprising to the world,” Director Tan Young-jin said.
“As Shincheonji Church of Jesus grows rapidly through this unrivaled word education system, there is a lot of interest from home and abroad. There have been cases where churches and even entire denominations have come to us to request cooperation,” another official from the mission center explained.
A RELATED STORY: https://www.scjamericas.org
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