President Moon Jae-in attended a ceremony on Wednesday to honor the inauguration of Ven. Seongpa as the 15th Supreme Patriarch of the Jogye Order, South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect.
 
The Supreme Patriarch, or “Jongjeong” in Korean, is the top spiritual leader in the Buddhist sect.
 
The presidential office said that Moon is the first incumbent president to attend such a ceremony.
 
In a congratulatory speech delivered at Jogye Temple in Seoul, Moon noted Buddhism has practiced the spirit of compassion, even during the harsh times of the COVID-19 pandemic, to provide a ray of hope to people.
 
He said he believes Buddhism will continue to give steadfast courage and strength to the people currently tiding over the crisis of the omicron variant.
 
Moon expressed hope that Korean society will move forward to an era of harmony and unity, in line with Ven. Seongpa’s teachings, beyond conflict and confrontation.