On August 2, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism (led by President Most Ven. Jinwoo) and the Unification Walk held a joint “Prayer Ceremony for Peace and Unification” at Geonbongsa Temple. Representative Lee In-young and 94 other members of the National Assembly joined the event in support of the Jogye Order’s vision. The Jogye Order has been paying increasing attention to peace on the Korean Peninsula, as evidenced by an aspiration ceremony conducted by the Jogye Order last April at the Goseong DMZ Museum to pray for the resumption of Mount Kumgang tourism.

Those who attended the ceremony included Ven. Seonghaeng, the director of the Jogye Order’s National Community Promotion Headquarters; Ven. Seolju, the abbot of Geonbongsa Temple and the director of the Gangwon branch of the National Community Promotion Headquarters; and venerables from Sinheungsa Temple, the headquarters temple of the Third District. Political figures in attendance included National Assembly Deputy Speaker Nam In-soon. The event was also attended by local Dharma teachers, including the Gangwon Regional Director of the Dharma Propagation Corps, as well as participants in the 2026 Unification Walk.

“The unification of the nation begins with the unification of the mind,” said Most Ven. Jinwoo, the president of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, in a message read by Ven. Seonghaeng. “Unification is not achieved through political declarations alone. It will become a reality when we cultivate a willingness to understand one another, an aspiration to live together, and compassion and respect for others.”

Most Ven. Jinwoo also commended the organizers of the Unification Walk for their contributions to the event, which has been held for ten years. He described it as “a new beginning to sow the seeds of peace that will carry on for the next ten years and beyond.”

During the ceremony, the president of the Jogye Order presented participants with prayer sticks made from Korean yew wood harvested from the Kaema Plateau in North Korea. He urged them to continue uniting their hearts for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

“Peace and reunification have become nothing but empty words. The suffering of our people has become someone else’s problem, and conflict has turned into a cycle of reincarnation,” The participants vowed in their declaration. “Now, we will establish reunification sanctuaries together in every sacred place around the world. We will make the lotus of hope bloom, so that it will lead to peace and coexistence.”