May212012
I just saw an ajuma demolishing a building. She had a massive piece of machinery at her disposal. No ajuma should have so much power.
May172012
1) Gambling is illegal in South Korea
2) They are Buddhist monks!
3) There is actually a historical precedent in South Korea for corruption in the Buddhist ranks. During the Goryeo period of Korean history (the 2nd unification of the Peninsula) Buddhism became the official state religion.* During the later half of the Goryeo period, Buddhism was rife with corruption, despite the flourishing creativity of the Seon school. The political structure in Goryeo became increasingly anti-Buddhist, and Buddhism was viewed as one of the chief factors for the decline of Goryeo. There was an overpopulation of monks and nuns, many of whom joined temples to avoid taxation and government service. The temples were bloated with wealth (due to their tax-free status) and were still being supported by the government. As more and more temples were built and the public rituals became more elaborate, the cost became too great a burden for the government to handle.
Once the Joseon dynasty began, so too did the suppression of Buddhism. Over the next five centuries Buddhism was systematically restricted in favor of the newly introduced Neo-Confucian doctrine, which was diametrically opposed to Buddhist teachings. Buddhism in Korea survived throughout this time and has seen a bit of a revival in modern times. But every now and again you see flair-ups between Buddhists and the political structure of Korea. This gambling incident, may be a one-off or it may be a little bit of history repeating.
* Out of the many schools of Buddhism, the Seon school rose to the top and became the primary mode of Buddhist transmission in Korea. The Seon school—known as “Chan” in China and “Zen” in Japan—believed in medication for enlightenment as opposed to the Gyo school that believed in studying and academics to attain Enlightenment.
