The Arson Mystery at Naejangsa Temple's Daeungjeon Hall, a 'Millennium-old Temple'... Why Did the 50s Monk Set the Fire?

50s Monk Choi Who Turned Naejangsa Daeungjeon into Ashes
Claims Conflict with Another Monk Caused Arson
Naejangsa Officials Say "No Discord or Dispute at All"

At around 6:50 PM on the 5th, flames were rising from a fire suspected to be arson at the Daeungjeon Hall of Naejangsa Temple in Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Choi Mo (54), a monk who set fire to the Daeungjeon Hall of Naejangsa Temple, a "thousand-year-old temple" in Jeongeup, Jeonbuk, reducing it to ashes, revealed his motive for the crime, saying, "I did it because I was upset from accumulated grievances in my daily life." On the other hand, Naejangsa Temple denied having any disputes with Choi, sparking a controversy over the true motive behind the crime.

The Jeongeup Branch of Jeonju District Court's warrant division issued an arrest warrant for monk Choi on the 7th on charges of arson of a dwelling (arson of a building) at Daeungjeon Hall, citing "risk of flight." Choi is accused of pouring an inflammable substance and setting fire to the Daeungjeon Hall of Naejangsa Temple at 6:37 p.m. on the 5th, causing it to burn down completely.

At the time of the crime, Choi was confirmed to be intoxicated and set the fire by pouring gasoline stored at the temple. Immediately after the crime, Choi voluntarily reported himself to the police.

At around 6:37 PM on the 5th, a fire suspected to be arson broke out at the Daeungjeon Hall of Naejangsa Temple in Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do, completely burning down the Daeungjeon Hall. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Investigations revealed that Choi committed the crime after entering Naejangsa Temple in February for practice and having conflicts with other monks.

Before the detention hearing held at the Jeongeup Branch of Jeonju District Court on the same day, Choi expressed, "I deeply apologize to the citizens of Jeongeup."

When asked, "Do you feel sorry to the Buddhist community?" he replied, "Very much." He added, "I did it impulsively after drinking. My judgment was clouded momentarily. I immediately regretted it right after the act," revealing his feelings about the crime.

Regarding why he reported the fire to the police himself, he answered, "Because I didn’t want the fire to spread to Naejang Mountain." When asked, "What did the monks do to upset you?" he briefly replied, "I will explain in detail after entering."

The Daeungjeon Hall building of Naejangsa Temple in Jeongeup, Jeonbuk, which was completely burned down by arson, lies in ashes on the 7th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

During the police investigation, Choi stated that "I did it because grievances accumulated during my daily life." In contrast, Naejangsa Temple dismissed Choi's claims as "completely untrue."

Daewoo Monk (75), who has lived the longest at Naejangsa, emphasized in an interview with Yonhap News, "There was absolutely no discord or conflict between him (the suspect) and the monks in the temple," adding, "He said so to the police, but no one has heard of such an incident."

He also expressed his bewilderment, saying, "Even around 4 p.m. on the day of the fire, he was drinking tea inside the temple with a monk who came from another hermitage. At that time, he said, 'I’m grateful because everyone treats me well since I came to Naejangsa,' so I really don’t understand why he did such a thing two hours later."

Choi is accused of pouring an inflammable substance and setting fire to the Daeungjeon Hall of Naejangsa Temple at 6:37 p.m. on the 5th. The fire caused the complete destruction of the 165.84㎡ Daeungjeon Hall, resulting in property damage estimated at 1.78 billion KRW by the fire department. Fortunately, the fire did not spread to Naejang Mountain, nor were there any casualties.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.