Venerable Jinwoo, the current chief executive of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, was elected as the 38th chief executive. Since the 1994 reform of the order, this is the second time a chief executive has won a second term, after Venerable Jaseung.
On the 3rd, all 321 members of the electoral college took part in the chief executive election, held by indirect vote at the Memorial Hall of Buddhist Culture and History of Korean Buddhism in Jongno District, Seoul. Venerable Jinwoo won 183 votes (57%), defeating Venerable Gyungu, former abbot of Seonunsa Temple, who received 138 votes (43%).
Receiving the certificate of election, Venerable Jinwoo said, "I will take today's choice not as support for me personally, but as a solemn call to achieve a new leap for Korean Buddhism based on stability and harmony," and added, "I will listen with even greater humility so that no one is left out, and together with the dioceses and the fourfold Buddhist community, I will open the future of the order."
Venerable Jinwoo will begin a second four-year term starting on the 28th, after approval by the Jogye Order Council of Elders on the 4th. This is the first successful reelection of a Jogye Order chief executive in 13 years, since Venerable Jaseung won a second term as the 33rd and 34th chief executive in 2013.
In this election, Venerable Jinwoo emphasized achievements over the past four years in stabilizing the order and elevating Buddhism's social standing, declaring a bid with the pledge, "From stability to a leap forward, we will open a new century for Korean Buddhism."
Venerable Jinwoo was born in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, and was ordained under his preceptor, Venerable Baegun. He received the novice precepts in 1978 and the full bhikshu precepts in 1998.
After serving as abbot of Yonghungsa Temple in Damyang, he was appointed in 2012 as abbot of Baegyangsa Temple, the head temple of the 18th diocese of the Jogye Order in Jangseong. At the time, Baegyangsa was in turmoil over a monk gambling scandal and allegations of embezzlement, but Venerable Jinwoo served as abbot through 2014, working to resolve the situation and stabilize the organization.
Under the 35th chief executive Seoljeong, he served as head of the secretariat, head of the Office of Judiciary Protection, and chief of planning. After Venerable Seoljeong stepped down in 2018 amid allegations of a concealed partner and child, Venerable Jinwoo, as head of general affairs, served as acting chief executive.
In 2019, he took office as the 8th head of the Training Institute of the Jogye Order and served for three years. In the 2022 election for the 37th chief executive, he ran unopposed after being recommended by Buddhist Square, a coalition joined by major factions of the Central Council, and was elected without a vote.
During this election process, questions were raised about his monastic status, including the timing of his full precepts, but he passed the candidate eligibility review by the election commission and again won the choice of the electoral college.
Over the past four years, Venerable Jinwoo has promoted the popularization of Buddhism by putting "seon meditation" at the forefront. He recast Buddhist practice, which can seem difficult, into meditation that can be carried out in daily life, focusing on broadening points of contact with the public.
In 2024, he held the International Seon Meditation Conference at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul and formally declared the popularization of seon meditation, after which he pushed related program development and dissemination as core projects of the order.
He also continued efforts to broaden contact with younger generations. As events such as the Buddhist Expo, which combines traditional Buddhist culture with modern content, gained favor with young people, he was credited with driving the so-called "hip Buddhism" boom.
While emphasizing the Buddhist community's role on social issues such as low birthrates, an aging population, and the climate crisis, he also pursued policies to improve monk welfare and invigorate dioceses within the order.
The Jogye Order chief executive oversees the administration and external affairs of the order, which includes about 3,500 temples nationwide and roughly 12,000 monks. The post carries the authority to appoint head abbots of head and branch temples, execute the chief executive's annual budget of around 100 billion won, and approve supervision and disposition of property owned by order-affiliated temples.
Ex officio, the chief executive also serves as chair of the Seungga Academy, including Jungang Seungga University, chair of the Jogye Order Social Welfare Foundation, and president of the Association of Korean Buddhist Orders, a role widely viewed as effectively representing Korean Buddhism.