hankyoreh

By Kim Ji-hoon

Lee Do-yeop, dean of academic affairs at the General Assembly of Presbyterian Churches in Korea (GAPCK), met a reporter from The Hankyoreh at the assembly’s office in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, on Thursday and stated, “We convened a disciplinary committee on January 14 and dismissed pastor Lee Geun-an. Mr. Lee should have repented his past life as a torturer and lived a prudent life as a pastor, but he neglected his duty and began giving anti-communist lectures and misrepresenting his actions, saying things like, ‘Torture is an art’ and, ‘I am a patriot.’ In so doing, he hurt many people and damaged the reputation of his order, which is why we made this decision.”

Lee added, “When comments made by Mr. Lee to the media became an issue, the head of the general assembly summoned and cautioned him. Things may have been different if Mr. Lee had gone to visit Kim Geun-tae’s family and sincerely apologized, but he showed no sign of genuine contrition.”

When public criticism of Lee Geun-an began approaching the boiling point following the death of senior Democratic Party advisor Kim Geun-tae, the GAPCK immediately summoned Lee, but was unable to contact him for two weeks. This, the general assembly explained, was why the disciplinary committee convened late. In October 2008, Lee completed a GAPCK distance learning course in theology and was ordained as a pastor. When Lee’s acquisition of his qualification for ordination by way of its distance learning theology course became an issue, the GAPCK closed the distance learning course and stripped Lee of his position.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]