Jogyesa’s Lotus Lantern Is in Order of Power?

Commemoration of Buddha’s birth was held at Jogyesa, Jongro-gu Kyeonji-dong, Seoul, at 10 a.m. on the 19th in 2546 Buddha Era. Over 50,000 lotus lanterns were held up in front of Jogyesa on the day.

However, the authorities go through much trouble every year because of the `lantern ceremony`. Politicians request `VIP lanterns` to win Buddhist hearts, and order of the lanterns must be appropriate to avoid backbiting. VIP lanterns are much bigger and more splendid than normal ones. Although politicians’ `lantern price` does not open to the public, it is mostly around 100,000 won.

The problem is that every politician wants his or her lantern to be placed in more visibility, but so-called `VIP line` in front of Jogyesa is limited with 7 or 8 lanterns. Therefore, some even say that the Korean political power domain is ordered out every year at Jogyesa on the day of Buddha’s birth.

The Jogeysa authority has prepared its own politician-related `lantern ceremony`. The criterion follows ∆ courtesy for present and former presidency ∆ parties’ presidential candidacy ∆ government party over opposition ∆ order of seats. Of course, only the requested lanterns are placed.

Looking from the Daewoong-jeon’s main entrance on the day, there were Buddhist authorities’ lotus lanterns on the right side and political authorities’ lanterns on the left. VIP lanterns followed the order of president Kim Dae-Jung, former president Jeon Doo-Hwan, prime minister Lee Han-Dong, democratic presidential candidate Rho Moo-Hyun, Grand National Party’s (GNP) presidential candidate Lee Hui-Chang, GNP leader Seo Cheong-Won, United Liberal Democrats’ president Kim Jong-Pil, and Korean Coalition For The Future’s leader Park Keun-Hye.

Lee In-Je, who lost in the Millennium Democratic Party’s primary, had to find his lantern elsewhere from the VIP line, and former president Rho Tae-Woo, known as a strong Buddhist, did not request his lantern.

Gab-Sik Kim gskim@donga.com