Cancellation of venue by Gyeonggi Tourism Organization condemned

SEOUL: Shincheonji Church of Jesus Graduates strongly condemned the unconstitutional decision by the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization to cancel their venue reservation.

A statement on behalf of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus Graduates said Shincheonji Church of Jesus and the National Unification Buddhist Central Council had planned to host the Religious Leaders’ Forum and graduation ceremony at Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on October 30.

Accordingly, the venue was formally reserved for October 29-31 and diligent preparation was done for the event.

“However, on October 29, just one day before the main event, the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, without any prior consultation, unilaterally revoked our reservation. Canceling the reservation at such a late stage, with tens of thousands of attendees from Korea and abroad en route, without any prior notification or attempt at dialogue, constitutes an egregious abuse of administrative power that cannot be overlooked,” the statement said.

“For this ceremony, tens of thousands of graduates and religious leaders have traveled from abroad, and approximately 20 billion KRW has been invested in preparations,” it added.

The statement further stated that in its cancellation notice, the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization cited concerns over the designation of Paju as a risk zone and the potential impacts on residents due to anticipated leaflet launches by a group advocating for North Korean defectors during the event.

“However, the risk designation in the Paju area was established on October 16, and the leaflet campaign notice had also been publicly announced well in advance. Despite these developments, no issues were raised concerning our event until October 28, nor were any preparatory meetings held to address the potential situation. Instead, the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization abruptly informed us of the cancellation on October 29, the very day the reservation was set to begin, Shincheonji Church of Jesus Graduates said.

This event is purely religious in nature, and the administrative body, fully aware that preparations had been finalised, abruptly canceled it one day prior. This action severely infringes upon the freedom of religion and the principle of equality guaranteed by the Constitution, constituting an undeniable act of unconstitutional administrative overreach, they said.

“We view this cancellation as a consequence of undue interference not only by the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization but also by the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, and we strongly denounce this unlawful action. We call for responsible measures and vow to pursue all legal and administrative avenues to address the costs and damages incurred from this situation. We urge the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization to immediately retract this unjust decision and to uphold transparent and accountable administration, ensuring fair treatment for all religious organisations,” the statement concluded.