The Council of Korean Buddhist Orders (led by Chair Venerable Jinwoo, President of the Jogye Order), the Japan-China-Korea International Buddhist Exchange Association, and the Chinese Buddhist Association jointly hosted the 24th Korea-China-Japan Buddhist Friendship Exchange Conference on October 30 at Kuonji Temple in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.

Held at Kuonji, the head temple of the Nichiren School in Japan, the conference was centered around the theme of Constructing a Co-Prosperous Society and the Possibilities of Buddhist Spirit and featured events such as a peace prayer ceremony, an academic seminar, and a celebratory banquet.

In his peace prayer message, Venerable Jinwoo, Chair of the Council of Korean Buddhist Orders and President of the Jogye Order, stated, “The world is stained with war and violence, interreligious and ethnic conflicts are recurring endlessly, and humanity's cruelty is growing more severe by the day. If this continues, there is even a sense of crisis that humanity could face mutual destruction. What we must do is to deeply reflect on the Buddha’s teaching that ‘Everything follows the law of cause and effect, and interdependent origination.’”

He further emphasized, “As the saying goes, ‘Be the master wherever you are, and where you stand will be the true place.’ If everyone fulfills their responsibilities wherever they are, the place where we stand now will become a seat of truth. The wisdom to create a harmonious world lies in Buddhism, and the solution for humanity’s mutual prosperity can also be found in Buddhist teachings.” 

During the conference, the Buddhist communities of Korea, China, and Japan issued a joint declaration at 3 PM on October 30 in the Main Buddha Hall of Kuonji Temple, reaffirming their golden ties of unity and pledging to contribute to global peace.

Approximately 260 participants attended the event, including 80 representatives from Korea, 100 from Japan, and 80 from China.