Two Koreas to hold joint Buddhist service in N. Korea

Yonhap, Nov 8, 2014

SEOUL, South Korea -- A South Korean Buddhist order said Saturday it will hold a joint memorial service in North Korea later this month to mark the anniversary of its founder's death.

The Cheontae Order said it agreed during a meeting with officials from the North's Korea Buddhist Federation on Thursday to hold the joint memorial service to mark the 912th anniversary of the passing of Uicheon on Nov. 26.

Founded by Uicheon, a Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) monk, the Cheontae school has since become the second-largest Buddhist sect in South Korea.

The service will take place at Ryongtong Temple in Kaesong, just north of the inter-Korean border, with some South Korean Buddhists attending, it said. The North has yet to decide how many of its Buddhists will attend.

During the talks, the two sides also decided to push for a seminar to discuss restoring a road for Buddhist pilgrimage tours in Kaesong and its adjacent cities and increasing the world's awareness of Kaesong's cultural assets, according to the Buddhist group.