The newspaper had quoted a statement from a Buddhist group, Buddhist Environment Solidarity, saying that a political figure from the ruling camp discussed with a high-ranking Cheong Wa Dae official the matter of granting political protection to the president of Chongmuwon. The article, titled "Cheong Wa Dae threatens Chongmuwon President," said that the discussion was made at a meeting to talk about the proposed Mount Sapae tunnel. The report quoted a statement from the Buddhist Environment Solidarity which said, “The remark is understood only as a threat that if Buddhist circles refuse to accept the request from Cheong Wa Dae, they could not protect the Buddhist leader.”

In connection with the matter, Priest Hyungo, chief editor of the Buddhist newspaper and director of the planning department at Chongmuwon, said, “The report that a high-ranking Cheong Wa Dae official mentioned giving political protection to the president of Chongmuwon in exchange for cooperation in the Mount Bukhan project turned out to be incorrect and we scrapped all copies of the newspaper just before its release.”

Holding themselves responsible for the report, the priests Hyunung and Sunggwan, president and vice president of the Buddhist News, and Hyungo handed in their resignations.

The presidential Spokesman Yoon Tae-young said, “It is true that Buddhist circles wished to meet the president to discuss the matter of the Mount Sapae tunnel, but Presidential Chief of Staff Moon Hee-sang never made the remark in question. I understand that the Buddhist News and Chongmuwon also admitted this and scrapped all copies of the report.” (Kim Han-su, hansu@chosun.com )