Rethinking Korean Buddhism in the Park Chung Hee Era (1961–1979)

ABSTRACT Park Chung Hee (Pak Chŏng hŭi 1917–1979) is the most controversial president in South Korean history. The relationship between religious groups and Park's regime is a particularly complicated historical issue. Scholars have rightly criticized Korean Buddhism's relationship with the Park Chung Hee regime, particularly condemning the Chogye Order, the largest Order of Korean Buddhism, for allying with Park's anti‐democratic government under the guise of “state‐protection Buddhism” ( hoguk pulgyo ). Thus far, however, studies have been heavily centered on mainstream institutional perspectives; scholarship on modern Korean Buddhism, especially in the English‐language, is lacking comprehensive, multi‐dimensional studies of Buddhism under Park's government. The field requires a balanced understanding of Buddhism in the period that combines: (1) the transnational dimensions of Korean Buddhism during the Cold War; (2) institutional dealings between and within the government, the Chogye Order, and other Buddhist Orders (T'aego, Ch’ŏnt'ae, etc.); and, (3) the lived experiences of everyday lay Buddhists, including students, soldiers, and women. In this article, I highlight some recent works that exemplify these approaches and suggest directions for further research.