A funeral service was held on Sunday morning for Venerable Jaseung, the former head of Korea's largest Buddhist sect who died in a fire last week.

The service led by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism was held at Jogye Temple in central Seoul, attended by thousands of people including political and religious figures such as Prime Minister Han Duk-soo, Catholic Archbishop Hyginus Kim Hee-jong and Buddhist leaders from across the country.

In a message read by presidential chief of staff Kim Dae-ki, President Yoon Suk Yeol said that every moment the venerable monk had lived will remain alive through the history of South Korean Buddhism.

Following the funeral, the body of Venerable Jaseung was transferred to Yongju Temple in Gyeonggi Province for a Buddhist cremation ceremony.

The monk’s body was found after a fire in a dormitory at the Chiljang Temple in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, where he was staying alone.

Last Thursday, the Jogye Order said that former leader Venerable Jaseung took his own life by self-immolation.