Venerable Jeongnyeom resigns as Woljeongsa abbot, signaling run for Jogye Order chief

Venerable Jeongnyeom, abbot of Woljeongsa — the head temple of the fourth district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism — has stepped down from his post, signaling his intention to run for head of the order's General Affairs Won.

Jeongnyeom said Friday morning that he submitted his resignation to the General Affairs Won through Venerable Samhae, abbot of Beopheungsa.

In a farewell statement titled "Words upon stepping down as district head of the fourth district of the Jogye Order," Jeongnyeom reflected on his years at Odaesan, writing that the mountain had taught him "that what is deeply rooted may sway but will not fall."

He described his departure not as a retreat but as "a move toward a wider stage," and warned that Korean Buddhism faces a crisis. Citing a decline in lay believers and a drop in ordinations to one-quarter of the level seen 20 years ago, along with dwindling youth participation, he said the deeper problem was not the numbers. "The bigger issue is not the numbers — it is that there is no direction," he said.

He went on to say that tens of billions of won were flowing into Seon meditation programs while the philosophical and doctrinal foundations of "ganhwaseon" — a form of meditative inquiry — remained unclear. Authority had become excessively concentrated in the General Affairs Won, leaving district temples struggling under financial burdens even as a "district-centered system" remained little more than a slogan. "To stand by and watch this is no longer the duty of a member of the order, nor of a practitioner," he said.

Jeongnyeom cited achievements during his tenure as abbot — including a short-term ordination school, the opening of a natural meditation village called Omwi, the establishment of the Woljeongsa Welfare Foundation, the opening of the Manwol Senior Welfare Center, and the repatriation of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. He said that if what had been proven at Odaesan were to spread to all 24 districts nationwide, "Korean Buddhism would look entirely different."

"Through my service as district head, I have experienced firsthand that practice is policy and policy is practice," he said, closing with: "Odaesan, and the fourfold community who walked this path with me — thank you. And for now, farewell."

Jeongnyeom has long been mentioned as a leading candidate to become the next head of the General Affairs Won.

Earlier, at a press briefing held to mark the release of a book he authored, he hinted at a possible run, saying that if such a role were offered, "it would not be something I would turn down," given how urgently Korean Buddhism needed to change.

The election for head of the Jogye Order's General Affairs Won — the most senior position in Korean Buddhism — is scheduled for Sept. 3, with candidate registration set for Aug. 11 to 13.