Public Lecture – Korean Buddhist Chaplains in the Vietnam War (1955-1975)

Invited Speaker

The South Korean military’s Buddhist chaplaincy is currently the second largest professional Buddhist military chaplaincy in the world. It was officially established in late 1968 because of South Korea’s large-scale participation in the Vietnam War. Military commanders, politicians, and Buddhist leaders alike perceived a need for military officers who could understand the religious beliefs of the majority-Buddhist Vietnamese. Buddhist media portrayed chaplains as Cold War warriors, defending both nation and religion while fostering civilian relations. Yet the reality was far harsher: chaplains faced the brutality of war, and while some Vietnamese Buddhists welcomed them, others condemned their complicity in South Korea’s pro‑war stance and U.S. neo‑imperialism. Within this tumultuous situation, chaplains had their own vision for their work in Vietnam beyond grandiose political narratives. In this talk, I will explore the lived experiences of early chaplains and how their work centered around their own conception of a modern, socially engaged Buddhism.