South Korean local government cancels international event with 30,000 participants from 78 countries, causing international damage.
On October 29th, an administrative decision by the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, a South Korean government agency sparked international controversy, raising concerns about religious freedom and causing substantial financial loss.
The “Religious Leaders Forum and 110,000 Graduation Ceremony,” a joint initiative by two prominent religious organizations, was set to take place in Paju, South Korea. The event, hosted by the Association for Buddhist National Unification of Korea and Shincheonji Church of Jesus, was expected to draw over 30,000 participants from 57 countries, including 1,000 religious leaders representing Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism.
However, the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, a public entity under the Gyeonggi Province, abruptly cancelled the venue rental without prior notice.
The Shincheonji Church of Jesus states: “This last-minute decision has resulted in significant financial damage to the event, as well as all organizers and parties involved.”
Organizers of this event stated that the cancellation commits an unconstitutional act of discrimination against a specific religion, violating religious freedom, human rights, and due process of law.
The hosting organizations, the Association for Buddhist National Unification of Korea and Shincheonji Church of Jesus, reported that they had received official confirmation on October 23rd and 28th that there was no plan of cancellation. They also report that the unilateral cancellation was an unreasonable administrative action targeting a specific religious group – other events scheduled for the same day were not affected, and that the cancellation was an “administrative decision caused by opposition from a specific religious group,” which “violates the principle of separation of church and state guaranteed by the [South Korean] Constitution.”
The Gyeonggi Tourism Organization cited security concerns related to recent North Korean actions, and the planned activities of a North Korean defector group as reasons for the cancellation. However, it was pointed out that other events, such as civilian bike rides and foreign tourist visits to the DMZ, were still permitted within the same designated area.
The incident has reignited international debate about religious freedom and tolerance in South Korea. The U.S. State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report has previously highlighted concerns such as the prosecution of Shincheonji Church of Jesus and the government’s refusal to approve mosque construction.
The Association for Buddhist National Unification of Korea and Shincheonji Church of Jesus have expressed frustrations and call upon the South Korean government to respect religious freedom, uphold human rights, and to rectify this decision. They also urge international organizations to monitor this situation and take appropriate action to protect religious freedom.
Shincheonji Church of Jesus are in the face of legal pressure, following the sudden cancellation and banning of the use of their venue of choice for their annual graduation ceremony for their theology school, Zion Christian Mission Centre.
Shincheonji allege that Gyeonggi Tourism Organization have committed unconstitutional acts of the sudden blockage of their event, on the premise of religious oppression.
Shincheonji Church of Jesus had rented the Imjingak Peace Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province from October 29 to 31 to hold a Religious Leaders Forum and their 110,000 Graduation Ceremony on the 30th. Tens of thousands of graduates and religious leaders from both Korea and abroad had already entered the country and completed all preparations to participate in the event. Shincheonji had already spent hundreds of billions of won to conduct the event at this scale. However, on the morning of the 29th, it was reported the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization unilaterally cancelled the rental without consultation or notice to the other parties involved.
Frustrations from Shincheonji come from reports that all administrative procedures for the procession of the Religious Leaders Forum and the Graduation Ceremony were of legal nature and in constant cooperation with the Gyeonggi Tourism Organisation – both parties received an approval notice as early as July 22, rental fee from Shincheonji being paid in full on October 2 and on October 16, the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization gave final reviews of all the details of the event, undergoing extensive safety inspections. In particular, on the same day, there was news that Gyeonggi Province had designated the entire Paju City as a danger zone, but under the guise to block the distribution of leaflets to North Korea. Furthermore, on October 23 and 28, figures from the tourism organisation confirmed twice that “there are no plans to cancel the venue booking.”
The Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon had ordered the cancellation of the venue, due to the reason of “provoking North Korea.”
Shincheonji and many others allege that large-scale events that had taken place at Imjingak Peace Nuri had never brought forth any unwanted attention from the nation’s direct opposition. Speculations arose that it was due to the targeting of a specific religious group from the local government.
Knowing that this stemmed from such and that it also defies many aspects of the Korean constitution, it has caused much outcry from those both in and outside of Shincheonji.
Shincheonji are looking to take all possible legal means to resolve the issue if the events proceed in a way where the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization fail to take responsibility, or fail to settle the matter civilly.
Street protests from members within Shincheonji are also being considered.
Shincheonji are also asking for an official public apology from their former event partners, and to put a halt to religious discrimination against them and others.
Freedom of religion has been stressed heavily, with Shincheonji officials stating “freedom of religion is not a subject of negotiation” in order for them and their congregation to exercise their faith without discrimination.
Zion Christian Mission Center and Chairman Young-Jin Tan, from the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony by Chairman Man-Hee Lee held their ‘115th 110,000 Joint Graduation Ceremony’ at the Shincheonji Cheongju Church Branch on Wednesday 30th October, with many overseas graduates flying in to attend the ceremony.
A total of 111,628 graduates graduated at the ceremony, marking the fourth time that over 100,000 graduates have graduated – this record-breaking number follows the 103,764 graduates in 2019, 106,186 graduates in 2022, and 108,084 graduates in 2023.
Originally planned to be held at the Imjingak Peace Park, the location was unilaterally cancelled the day before by the Gyeonggi Tourism Organisation. However, the many attendees that came followed suite to the location change at the Shincheonji Cheongju Church Branch.
Whilst many graduates from both domestic and abroad arrived, the event was also attended by foreign religious leaders who visited Korea specifically to visit the graduation ceremony. The graduation’s online attendance was also met by many graduates from other domestic branches, as well as multitudes tuning in online from all other overseas churches.
Auckland, New Zealand — Sovtech, a leading Australian cybersecurity firm, is proud to announce its official launch in New Zealand this October, marking a new chapter in its expansion across the Tasman.
Known for its innovative ‘profit for purpose’ business model, Sovtech combines cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions with a strong social mission, including partnerships with significant causes such as Cure Kids – a leading charity dedicated to improving child health in New Zealand.
As part of the New Zealand launch, Sovtech’s Founder and Director, Neil Templeman, will be visiting Auckland on 15 and 16 October to meet with clients, partners, and government officials. Templeman brings a personal connection to New Zealand, having lived here for seven years. His goal is to establish a local presence, creating new jobs and building a robust team to serve New Zealand businesses.
“Launching in New Zealand has been driven by strong demand from customers and our partners. We see a great opportunity to help businesses here enhance their cybersecurity posture while making a positive social impact and we have recently signed our first contract in NZ with a large enterprise customer,” says Templeman.
Sovtech’s unique approach to cybersecurity sets it apart from other providers. The company offers services such as advanced email security, data protection and third-party risk management, but with a difference – profits are reinvested into causes that matter. In Australia, Sovtech has supported First Nations health and education initiatives, and with its New Zealand expansion, it has chosen to align with Cure Kids, a charity focused on funding medical research to improve the health of children.
Cure Kids is enthusiastic about this collaboration. Brendon Pongia, Head of Engagement, commented, “We are excited to have the support of Sovtech, an organisation with a strong social mission and a shared commitment to improving the health of children in New Zealand.”
By launching in New Zealand, Sovtech aims to create a lasting social impact while providing the country’s businesses with industry-leading cybersecurity solutions. Its goal is to offer both private and public sector organisations the tools they need to improve their cyber resilience, while simultaneously contributing to a broader societal mission.
“We believe technology should be a force for good, creating ripple effects that transcend borders and generations,” adds Templeman. “With our Procurement for Purpose model, New Zealand businesses have a unique opportunity to strengthen their security while driving meaningful change.”
Sovtech’s launch in New Zealand is more than just business – it’s about community, sustainability, and making a difference where it counts.
Neil Templeman will be available for interviews during his visit to New Zealand on 15-16 October. To schedule a meeting or interview, please contact him directly at the number above.
About Sovtech: Sovtech is a cybersecurity provider offering comprehensive solutions to help businesses safeguard against modern threats. Their profit for purpose model reinvests profits into social causes, aligning technology with positive global change. https://sovtech.com.au/
About Cure Kids: Cure Kids is New Zealand’s largest charitable funder of child health research committed to finding better treatments and preventative strategies for a wide range of serious child health conditions. Cure Kids has invested more than $65 million in New Zealand research since it formed over 50 years ago, which has helped to shape and vastly improve the way children who live with serious diseases and health conditions are diagnosed and treated. Cure Kids is currently funding around $8 million in child health research across 60+ projects. Red Nose Day is their biggest annual fundraising campaign and makes a significant contribution to this work. For more information visit: www.curekids.org.nz
Te Ara Taiao, a Taranaki-based education programme teaching school children about the environment and culture around them has scaled up its work contributing to the nature ecology and mauri of the Taranaki Maunga landscape in the last few years with the support of the Department of Conservation (DOC).
Patuha maunga (known as Kaitake), one of the maunga that students learn about
In 2023, through the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill, the Crown recognised Taranaki Maunga as being a living being, and recognised the work done by Ngā Iwi o Taranaki in recent years to reactivate and strengthen their connections to their ancestral mountains. The work of Te Ara Taiao directly relates to this.
As the bill states:
“For generations, Taranaki Maunga and its surrounding ranges have been the central pillar for the iwi, hapū, and whānau of Taranaki. These maunga have long been honoured ancestors, a source of physical, cultural, and spiritual sustenance, and final resting places.”
Tane Manukonga, who works for Sustainable Taranaki – the organisation that houses the Te Ara Taiao – programme explains the programme originated when kaumatua from the Ngā Mahanga a Tairi hapū were given an opportunity to create an education programme that enabled tamariki who lived in Taranaki and on the Taranaki Maunga (mountain) landscape to know and understand from a cultural perspective the environment around them.
Tane says; “The name Te Ara Taiao means the environment pathway, they wanted tamariki to have a pathway to know and understand the environment but also it’s this connection piece that identifies a career pathway.”
Tamariki in the outdoor classroom at Omata School
Tane worked with the schools in the area of the hapū to ensure students at the local schools understood the pepeha (introduction) they were using, “That’s where I started with the schools, so that tamariki at the schools knew about the maunga, they knew about the awa (river). Some of the schools I worked with they use the awa in their pepeha but never went to see the awa. The connection with place and the connection with purpose is something you can’t do in a school classroom.”
“This is where the understanding for our cultural landscape came from that our kaumatua wanted our tamariki, Māori, Pakeha, anyone who lived on our landscape to understand. The pepeha was a no brainer to start,” says Tane.
The work to understand the cultural landscape also sits alongside initiatives to care for and understand the environment by way of activities based around a maramataka (Māori lunar calendar).
Tane says; “For instance in summer we’ve been growing a lot of kai; I’ve been teaching tamariki about kumara, we also do a lot of water testing, in autumn we’re doing seed collection, we’re doing a bit of propagation. In winter we are still testing water so we have those comparisons, we’re planting rakau (trees) in winter as well, come spring we’re back again we’re planting seeds and planting kumara tipu (runners) again.”
Seeing a kiwi footprint was a favourite talking point for Tamariki as it was discovered it after kiwi were reintroduced to the Maunga after predator species had eradicated them
Taranaki is a biodiversity hotspot which means there is a lot for students to learn about. Activities have included releasing kiwi – and learning about how to care for them in the environment by tracking them with telemetry gear – plant propagation, learning which berries manu (birds) eat, learning about the health of the water through water testing, learning about what riparian protection looks like, how artificial fertilizer can affect the waterways, and then down to the marine landscape learning about the health of the marine ecosystem.
Telemetry set used to track monitored kiwi
The boost to the programme from DOC through Jobs for Nature funding has enabled the team leading the work with tamariki and schools to grow, so more hapū are sharing their local narratives. The programme now employs five educators who each work with a different hapū or iwi to bring their knowledge of the environment to primary school aged tamariki.
Tane says; “This has been a real privilege for me personally to be able to facilitate that between schools and hapū.”
“Our project is, in my view, the start of intergenerational behaviour change toward the environment. Our project is really a conduit of the community where they can see themselves contribute back to the health and wellbeing of the land and the people and our unique landscape.”
Te Ara Taiao works in a collaborative way bringing different groups together to facilitate learning. Tane says; “Te Ara Taiao is just a conduit, stringing in everyone to make the spider web bright. The implementation is key, doing things together, don’t do stuff in silos.”
On the success of the programme he says: “It’s somewhere where the hapū can see themselves now, in the environment, they can see themselves back on the landscapes, the schools know now that how they are contributing to the local community is a beautiful thing. Tamariki can now see themselves working in the environment. When I was at school, no one ever wanted to be a marine biologist, …but these opportunities that tamariki have in school now are the first step to the environment pathway.”
Water testing kit
What’s next after Jobs for Nature funding concludes?
Tane wants to future-proof the project. “There is an aspiration for people to be doing work on the maunga to eradicate the pests and to re-establish the biodiversity and to reintroduce taonga species but there is a gap where there’s no real pathway in Taranaki for tamariki to do that. What’s next for the project is going from what we’re doing in (primary) schools to high schools to universities and maintain that support for our tamariki to be the next DOC rangers. I’ve also got this aspiration that we’re going to produce environmental policy writers, that we’re going to have the next environmental lawyers… and to continue to inspire tamariki to want to work in environmental jobs.”
Tamariki gather round a fire at a Puanga celebration at Omata school where taiao korero is shared to enrich the understanding and importance of the celebration at this time of year. Puanga is celebrated around the same time as Matariki in Taranaki, as the stars of Matariki are not able to be seen.
