On the afternoon of the 1st, in front of the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Venerable Jigwang, representative of the World Peace Practice Association, held a one-person protest calling for Chairman ManHee Lee to be tried without detention.

For approximately one hour, Venerable Jigwang stood quietly with his picket sign as cars passed and citizens headed home from work. Ignoring the looks of passersby, he remained focused on the courthouse, expressing his sincere appeal.

Explaining his motivation, he said that while observing the situation, he felt there were “many unreasonable and ethically difficult-to-understand aspects.”

He explained that although he initially felt only sorrow and sympathy, he eventually began questioning why the situation had to proceed in what he considered an unfair and one-sided manner.

“I couldn’t hide my extreme anger and frustration,” he said. “I decided that I would no longer keep it to myself, but would clearly make known what was wrong and speak up.”

He added, “Even if I face any disadvantages, I wanted to make known the injustice of this situation through whatever means I could, and demand that at least a minimum level of fairness and common sense be upheld.”

Describing himself as a “messenger of peace,” Venerable Jigwang said he regarded the protest as an act of practicing peace.

“I felt that it didn’t matter how passersby looked at me,” he said. “I am doing work for peace through this one-person protest today as an ambassador of peace.”

He also expressed sympathy for Chairman Lee, saying, “I feel heartbroken and sad when thinking about the difficulties that the elderly Chairman ManHee Lee must be facing. I think covering each other with love is the mark of a great person.”

After completing the one-hour protest, Venerable Jigwang bowed three times at the scene.

“As a missionary of peace, I raised my voice through this one-person protest with the hope that it would be of at least some help to the Chairman’s release on bail,” he said.

He further pledged, “I will participate in the protests two or three times if necessary until the Chairman is released.”

The picket sign carried the messages, “Please protect the health and human rights of the 95-year-old Korean War veteran” and “We earnestly appeal for a trial without detention for Chairman ManHee Lee.”

Venerable Jigwang emphasised the protection of the health and human rights of elderly war veterans and appealed to the court for a humanitarian and fair ruling.