(EDITORIAL from Korea Herald on March 18)People flowed in to pay homage to the Buddha’s relics on the last day.

President Yoon Suk Yeol's senior secretary Hwang Sang-moo issued a formal apology Saturday, two days after his controversial remarks about a 1988 terrorist attack on a journalist and the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising touched off a firestorm of criticism from the media and opposition parties. "I apologize for the distress my words have caused," Hwang said in a notification to the press from the presidential office. "I apologize to the journalists for failing to consider the position of those who listen to (my story), and to the bereaved families of the victims of the (Gwangju Uprising), who would not have wanted to be reminded of it." In the statement, Hwang, the senior presidential secretary for civil and social affairs, said he would be more careful with his language and behavior as a public figure in the future, without revealing his position on the demands of opposition parties and media organizations for his resignation, effectively refusing to step down. Hwang's apology seems inevitable, as his in flammatory comments about the two incidents are feared to undermine President Yoon's standing ahead of the April 10 parliamentary election. Despite the apology, however, there are a host of questions to be answered about why Hwang made such provocative remarks targeting MBC, a major broadcasting station that has been critical of Yoon, and his equally insensitive comments questioning the spirit of the Gwangju Uprising -- especially considering his primary job as a presidential aide to communicate with citizens and his career as a veteran TV journalist. On Thursday night, MBC reported that Hwang told reporters, "An economic daily reporter was stabbed in the leg twice in 1988," referring to the case in which the late journalist Oh Hong-keun, who had been the city desk editor of the now-defunct JoongAng Economic Daily, was attacked by two men near his home after he had criticized the military. The investigations found later that the two assailants had been following an order from the then-commander of the Kore a Defense Intelligence Command, an Army intelligence unit. Hwang reportedly turned his attention to an MBC reporter in the meeting Thursday before mentioning the 1988 attack, saying, "Listen up, MBC." MBC is in a legal battle with the government over its report on the so-called "hot mic" incident in September 2022 when Yoon, while on a visit to New York, allegedly used vulgar language. It is a historical fact that press freedom and democracy in Korea were in a sorry state in 1988 -- so much so that such a brutal and barbaric attack on a journalist critical of the government or the military happened. But it seems shocking that Hwang, a former news presenter for state-run KBS, dared to cite the past case for questionable purposes now in 2024. Hwang said his comments were "a joke" and asked the reporters there to keep his words private. In addition to the worrying threat to freedom of speech, some things cannot be laughed away, and Hwang's remarks underscore not only his misguided idea about the role of the press but also what must not be said even in a private conversation with reporters. According to MBC's report, Hwang also expressed doubts about the grassroots movement behind the 1980 Gwangju Uprising and claimed there are suspicions that an "external force" might have masterminded the uprising. Given the inaction from the presidential office, Yoon seems unlikely to sack Hwang over his controversial remarks. But if Yoon wants to minimize the negative impact of his image in the run-up to the election, he needs to do far more than temporary damage control, as his approval rating fell by 3 percentage points to 36 percent on Friday. This drop partly reflects the ongoing walkout by trainee doctors as well as his hasty appointment of former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup as the new ambassador to Australia even though he is still under investigation for his role in allegedly downplaying and interfering in the probe over the death of a young Marine last year. Source: Yonhap News Agency Krabi, Today is the last day open for the public to pay homage to the Buddha's relics. and the Arahant at Wat Mahathat Wachiramongkol, Krabi Province, even though the weather was extremely hot throughout the day. But it does not shinder the power of faith of the religious people. Today is the 25th day at the royal relics. and the Arahant's relics was invited to be enshrined in Thailand And tonight is a special night. Because it is the last night open for religious people to pay homage at Wat Mahathat Wachiramongkol, Krabi Province. Last evening, there was a Dhamma Vichai Discussion to a Century of Dhamma. Use Dharma as power and there is a special Khon performance 'Rama Across the Ocean Battle of the Devil Bow down to pay homage to the relics of the Lord Buddha' to join together in paying respects to the relics of His Majesty the King. and the Arahant's relics return to India tomorrow (19 Mar.) The performance is held in the courtyard in front of Mahathat Chedi. Wat Mahathat Wachiramongkol It is a pagoda w ith the same artistic shape as the Bodh Gaya pagoda in India. The story tells of the battle between Rama and Ravana. that fought for a long time But in the end, both of them decided not to fight with each other for good. because they wanted to submit the royal relics and the Arahant's relics Bring peace and tranquility back to the people. This Khon performance takes approximately one and a half hours to perform, which has received the attention of religious people in Krabi Province and throughout the southern region. who traveled to pay homage to the Buddha's relics and the Arahant's relics Many came to watch. As for the atmosphere of paying homage to the Buddha's relics and the Arahant's relics throughout the past day Mostly today, people come to worship in large numbers in the morning. Many said they left their homes as early as 3:00 a.m. to avoid the hot weather and kilometers of traffic. Until now, there are still people gradually coming to pay homage to the Buddha's relics. and the Arahant's relics I t will be closed for worship in less than 2 hours. While last evening Through the Ministry of Culture by the Department of Religious Affairs Together with the Bodhikayavichalai Institute 980, there was a forum on the topic. Dhammayatra of the Great Relics of the Great River, the Mekong River Basin, steps into the century of Dhamma or announcing the transformation of the world with Dhammawichai Campaign for citizens and all sectors to use Dhamma as power. Not using power fairly To create peace in the land with Mr. Sermsak Phongpanich, Minister of Culture Indian Ambassador to Thailand and the Secretary-General of the Bodhikayavichalai Institute 980 participated Indian Ambassador to Thailand stated that he would like to thank the Thai authorities for their support to the Indian authorities in inviting the royal relics and the Arahant's relics to be enshrined in Thailand It is a great success. Not only to honor His Majesty the King On the auspicious occasion of His Majesty the King's 6th Cycle 72nd Birthday An niversary, but also the use of Dhamma to bridge the relationship of both India and Thailand. that has been firmly attached for 2,000 years, making it even tighter as well It is considered to be the beginning of a new turning of the wheel of Dhamma. with Thailand as the starting point As for the reason for choosing to invite the Buddha's relics and the Arahant's relics were enshrined at Wat Mahathat Wachiramongkol, Krabi Province, as the last place before sending His Majesty back. Partly because of Wat Mahathat Wachiramongkol. It is a temple in which the name "Vachira" appears, which is the name of "His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn" is also present, so it is considered very auspicious. For the numbers of religious people who come to pay homage to the relics of the Lord Buddha. and the Arahant's relics at Wat Mahathat Wachiramongkol, Krabi Province, which began opening for worship since March 15th. Until now, the numbers have been tentatively summarized and total more than 720,000 people. As for the overall pi cture across all 4 regions of Thailand. In Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Ubon Ratchathani, a total of 4,127,590 people came to pay homage, only in Krabi. TAT Krabi Office stated that during these 4 days there were a large number of people flowing into Krabi Province, which had a positive effect on the overall tourism industry. Because all restaurants and accommodations are fully booked. There is 2,684 million baht of money circulating in the area. Source: Thai News Agency