south korea
I, robe-ot: the android monk working to reboot the faith of South Korea’s Buddhists
Jogyesa temple in South Korea initiated Gabi, a humanoid robot into its order this week, as it combats falling participation and interest
Amid rows of colourful lanterns strung across the courtyard of Jogyesa temple in Seoul, an unusual ceremony unfolded this week: monks held a Buddhist initiation for a humanoid robot draped in saffron robe.
They placed a string of 108 prayer beads around the robot’s neck and affixed a lantern festival sticker to its mechanical arm in place of the traditional yeonbi ritual, in which burning incense is lightly pressed against the skin.
The robot was then presented with a formal certificate listing its manufacture date, 3 March 2026, where a human initiate’s birth date would normally appear.
“At first we discussed it casually,” Venerable Sungwon, the order’s cultural affairs director, says about the robot ceremony’s origins. “It began almost as a joke. But the more we thought about it, the more serious it became.
“Robots are entering our lives so quickly, and people feel familiar with them … They’re becoming part of our community.”
Venerable Sungwon’s temple is the headquarters of the Jogye order, South Korea’s largest Buddhist denomination, and the initiation of its first robot monk comes at a time of uncertainty for the group, as they grapple with falling participation and interest.
Just 16% of South Koreans now identify as Buddhist, down from about 23% in 2005. Among people in their twenties, the figure drops to 8%. Last year, the Jogye order ordained just 99 new monks, down from more than 200 a decade earlier.
Yet by another measure, Buddhism has never been more popular. Under its president, Ven Jinwoo, the Jogye order has aggressively courted younger Koreans through what observers call “hip Buddhism” using merchandise, meditation apps and viral marketing.
The ordination of Gabi – the 130cm humanoid robot – forms part of this effort to reach more Koreans.
During the ceremony on 6 May, Gabi walked before an assembly of monks and worshippers, bowed towards the temple and received five Buddhist precepts.
Precepts – the ethical rules governing Buddhist practice – were specially adapted for Gabi. Four prohibited harming life, damaging other robots or objects, engaging in deceptive behaviour or acting disrespectfully towards people. Lire la suite »
Donald Trump cancels NATO then Europe signs a Deal that changes Everything
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Don’t need US to save Europe…’: Germany’s Merz denounces Trump’s ‘unacceptable’ security strategy
Northeast Asia sees more consensus
An article published in Financial Times Chinese on July 29 said that US, Japan and South Korea are acting increasingly independently, while a trend of joint action is being frequently observed among China, Russia and North Korea. Thus, a conclusion is made in the article – balance of power in Northeast Asia is being reorganized.
Japan-South Korea disputes have not impacted the essence of the US-Japan-South Korea alliance. Japan-South Korea trade conflicts might somewhat influence the three countries’ cooperation, but their military alliance is still stable. Yet the US-Japan-South Korea alliance needs to be reshaped and transformed under new geopolitical and international conditions.
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As long as the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is not realized, South Korea will remain dependent on the US in security and geopolitics. The General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), a military intelligence-sharing pact between Japan and South Korea, is supposed to be renewed on August 24. This will be an important juncture. If any change occurs to the agreement, there might be a crack in the US-Japan-South Korea military alliance, even though it will not completely collapse.
China expels 32 South Korea missionaries amid missile defense tension
China has expelled 32 South Korean Christian missionaries, a Korean government official said on Saturday, amid diplomatic tension between the two countries over the planned deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in the South.
The 32 were based in China’s northeastern Yanji region near the border with North Korea, many of whom had worked there more than a decade, South Korean media have reported.
South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Friday it briefed Christian groups on the case of the missionaries, adding that they were expelled in January.
The ministry advised the groups on the importance of complying with the laws and customs of the areas where they work, it said.
In South Korea, China is widely believed to be retaliating against Seoul’s plan to host the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system of the U.S. military, against the threat of the missile attack from North Korea.
But there was no indication of a direct link between the expulsions and tension over THAAD, said the South Korean government official, who requested anonymity.
« There was no official explanation from China, » he said. « There is no confirmation that it is related to THAAD. »
(with Reuters)