Prominent Buddhist Monk Summoned to National Assembly Audit Over $7 Million in Unpaid Wages at Major Newspaper

Summary South Korea's National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee has officially summoned Venerable Jikwang (secular name Lee Jeong-seop), the head of the major Buddhist academy Neungin Sunwon and majority owner of the regional daily newspaper *Kookje Shinmun*, to testify as a witness in its upcoming parliamentary audit. The emergency committee of the newspaper confirmed that lawmakers from both the ruling People Power Party and the opposition Democratic Party jointly proposed and approved the summons during a general committee session. Venerable Jikwang is scheduled to appear on October 27 during the comprehensive audit period to answer direct questions regarding the severe labor and financial turmoil plaguing the Busan-based news organization. At the heart of the controversy is a staggering backlog of unpaid compensation exceeding 10 billion won (roughly 7.5 million USD), spanning overdue salaries and severance packages owed to staff. Pushed to the brink by prolonged financial distress, an emergency coalition of 147 current and former *Kookje Shinmun* employees pooled their wage claims and submitted a petition for corporate rehabilitation to the Busan Bankruptcy Court in December 2024. The court formally greenlit the commencement of restructuring procedures in May 2025, and by June, the Eco Prime Marine Consortium—which includes major domestic shipbuilder HJ Heavy Industries—was selected as the final prospective acquirer to inject fresh capital and rescue the publication. However, the path toward revitalizing the historic regional newspaper has been stalled by fierce resistance from its controlling shareholder. An official creditors' meeting originally set for September 1 to vote on and adopt the court-supervised revival plan was delayed to October 13 due to staunch opposition from Neungin Sunwon. Frustrated by the prolonged stalemate, employee representatives gathered outside the Busan Court Complex to hold a unified protest and press conference, demanding the immediate approval of the corporate rehabilitation plan and urging the temple's leadership to stop impeding the company's survival. The parliamentary summons places a rare and intense spotlight on the intersection of religious foundations and media ownership in South Korea. The annual *Gukjeong Gamsa* (National Assembly audit) is one of the country's most formidable oversight institutions, giving lawmakers sweeping power to interrogate corporate executives, officials, and public figures over labor abuses and public interest issues. When Venerable Jikwang appears before the committee, lawmakers plan to rigorously question why years of wages remain unpaid and dissect the underlying reasons behind his temple's refusal to endorse the restructuring plan needed to settle employee claims and ensure the paper's continuity.