S Koreans visit North for holy ceremony
Source: Agencies |
September 4, 2011, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A RELIGIOUS delegation from South Korea landed in the North Korean capital Pyongyang yesterday to mark an anniversary celebrated by Buddhists on both sides of the heavily fortified border.
Due to political tensions, South Korean citizens are prohibited from traveling to North Korea without government permission. However, the delegation received approval in Seoul to make the rare trip to attend a ceremony at ancient Pohyon Temple in the mountains northwest of the North Korean capital.
They landed yesterday in Pyongyang for a five-day trip, AP Television News reported. They held a banner celebrating their visit upon arrival at the airport. Venerable Jaseung, who leads the delegation, shook hands with Sim Sang Jin, an official at North Korea's Buddhist association.
The South Koreans will join Buddhists from North Korea in taking part in a service marking the 1,000th anniversary of the engraving of the Tripitaka Koreana. The 80,000 woodblocks designed to print Buddhist scripture are considered sacred by Buddhists across the Korean peninsula and are revered by both Koreas as a relic of their shared heritage.
South Korean Buddhists have been one of the leading groups in providing humanitarian assistance to the North. Their trip is seen as a sign that relations may improve between the Koreas and comes days after South Korean President Lee Myung-bak replaced Seoul's point man on Pyongyang in an appointment seen as signaling his willingness to improve cross-border ties. Relations have been tense since Lee took office in 2008.
Due to political tensions, South Korean citizens are prohibited from traveling to North Korea without government permission. However, the delegation received approval in Seoul to make the rare trip to attend a ceremony at ancient Pohyon Temple in the mountains northwest of the North Korean capital.
They landed yesterday in Pyongyang for a five-day trip, AP Television News reported. They held a banner celebrating their visit upon arrival at the airport. Venerable Jaseung, who leads the delegation, shook hands with Sim Sang Jin, an official at North Korea's Buddhist association.
The South Koreans will join Buddhists from North Korea in taking part in a service marking the 1,000th anniversary of the engraving of the Tripitaka Koreana. The 80,000 woodblocks designed to print Buddhist scripture are considered sacred by Buddhists across the Korean peninsula and are revered by both Koreas as a relic of their shared heritage.
South Korean Buddhists have been one of the leading groups in providing humanitarian assistance to the North. Their trip is seen as a sign that relations may improve between the Koreas and comes days after South Korean President Lee Myung-bak replaced Seoul's point man on Pyongyang in an appointment seen as signaling his willingness to improve cross-border ties. Relations have been tense since Lee took office in 2008.
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