Police leaving all possibilities open in prominent Buddhist monk's death, despite suicide notes

Social Affairs

Published: 30 Nov. 2023, 13:45 Updated: 30 Nov. 2023, 15:11

Police leaving all possibilities open in prominent Buddhist monk's death, despite suicide notes

Main: A team of investigators, including forensic experts, police and firefighters, investigate on Thursday the scene where the former head of the Jogye Order, Jaseung, allegedly committed suicide by setting fire to a residence where he was staying at Chiljang Temple in Anseong, Gyeonggi. Inset: Former head of Jogye Order Jaseung. [YONHAP].

Investigators said they are leaving all possibilities open in their investigation into the death of the Buddhist monk Jaseung despite finding what appeared to be suicide notes.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) is also looking into the death of the monk, who once headed Korea’s largest Buddhist order.

Police confirmed on Thursday that no other person, other than monk Jaseung, entered the residential building.

They added that based on the surveillance video footage, statements by temple officials, the mobile phone location and statements by family members, they have temporarily concluded the body found in a burned-out building is that of the monk.

However, the police have decided to conduct a DNA test to make the final confirmation of the body's identity.

Meanwhile, the Jogye Order internally concluded that the monk committed suicide.

The 69-year-old monk died on Wednesday at 6:50 p.m. at the monk’s residence at Chiljang Temple in Anseong, Gyeonggi, which burned to the ground.

The police found two notes allegedly written by the monk.

The notes, reportedly found in Jaseung's vehicle, said the monk was taking his own life and apologized for the inconvenience.

He also asked the authorities not to investigate, saying everything had been recorded on surveillance camera.

The note reportedly urged people not to make a fuss over his death, too.

The police said it is looking into the possibility that the monk was murdered and the suicide note written by a third person.

“The monk was such a huge figure, so we are looking into the possibility of a security incident or terrorism,” an NIS official said.

Jaseung was active in inter-Korean relations, visiting North Korea three times — in 2002, 2010 and 2011.

Suspicions surround his death since even as recently as Monday, the monk had expressed in an interview his determination to focus on missionary work targeting college students.

The Jogye Order on Thursday said it concluded that Jaseung sacrificed himself to Buddha through self-immolation.

The Jogye Order said the monk had left a message of wisdom saying, “Since there is no life and death, there is no place without life and death. Since there is nothing to save anymore, the relationship disappears.”

Former head of Jogye Order Jaseung. [YONHAP]

Jaseung, who was born in 1954 in Chuncheon, Gangwon, joined the Jogye Order at the age of 18 in 1972.

He became the head of the order at 55 in 2009 and secured a second term in 2013.

Jaseung is the only monk to serve two full consecutive terms since the order was united in 1962.

According to the fire department, it took three hours to put out the fire, with 46 firefighters on the scene.

Some 17 officials from the Anseong police, the fire department and forensics participated in the investigation of the charred location where the monk was found,

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]