Bodhisattva of unification: How one monk tried to bridge Koreas through Buddhism | NK News
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December 23, 2024

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Bodhisattva of unification: How one monk tried to bridge Koreas through Buddhism

Venerable Popta traveled to North Korea hundreds of times to work with local monks, rejecting claims they are DPRK spies

In the mountains of southeastern South Korea, Venerable Popta lives a monastic life as the abbot of Eunhae Temple, meditating daily and receiving visitors at his traditional Korean home.

But while he may not leave the hermitage much these days, this unsuspecting Buddhist monk has made more trips to North Korea than nearly any other outsider, visiting hundreds of times over the course of two decades. 

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