A MODERN
BIOGRAPHY ARCHIVE
THE COLLECTION / EducationARCHIVE № 419
1953 —   MONK / SOCIAL ACTIVIST

POMNYUN

Choi Seok-hoApr 11, 1953South Korea

What happened at what age?
Where were they at your age?

The year he turned 16, he met the monk Domun at Bunhwangsa in Gyeongju, received the novice precepts and left home to become a monk. Around 1979, while teaching math at a cram school, he was mistaken for a financier of a pro-democracy group, taken to an anti-communist investigation unit and tortured. Around 1980, he was arrested for violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act while protesting the Oct. 27 Buddhist Persecution. In 1981, while staying in the United States, he met an old monk, Seoam, at a temple in Los Angeles and reworked how he viewed Buddhism.

In 1988, he founded Jungto Society, a Buddhist practice community. In January 1991, he received the bhikkhu and dharma transmission precepts from Domun and returned as a fully ordained monk.

In 1994, the Korea Buddhist Environmental Education Institute (now EcoBuddha) received approval as an incorporated association. In 1996, he organized the international relief group JTS. In 1997, he ran a one-million-signature drive to help hungry North Korean children.

The year he turned 49, on Aug. 31, he received the Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding in Manila, the Philippines. In 2004, he founded the Peace Foundation, which studies peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula. In 2006, he received Gangwon Province’s DMZ Peace Prize in exchange and cooperation. In 2007, he received the National Reconciliation Award of the Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation.

The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 57, in September, he published Seunimui Juryesa. It became a bestseller right after release and made his name known, and that month he received the first Cheonji Religious Person Prize.

In 2011, he published the parenting book Eomma Sueop, which entered the bestseller rankings, and received the Reunification and Culture Award. In 2012, he appeared on SBS Healing Camp and became known nationwide. In 2013, Insaengsueop held No. 1 on the overall bestseller list for 11 straight weeks.

In 2015, he received the Kripasaran Award in India, and SBS Special covered his jeungmun jeungseol lectures. In 2018, he received the Order of Civil Merit, Moran Medal. In 2020, he received the Niwano Peace Prize, which Korean media call the Nobel Peace Prize of religion in Asia, and donated all of the prize money.

In 2022, he received the Humanities Value Grand Prize, and his jeungmun jeungseol YouTube channel passed 1.7 billion cumulative views. In December 2024, a jeungmun jeungseol lecture was scheduled at the Yeongju Culture and Arts Center at the invitation of Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. In 2025, he appeared on tvN You Quiz on the Block and published Hyeongmyeongga Buda, and in December he officiated at the wedding of the actors Kim Woo-bin and Shin Min-a. In 2026, he went to India for the SBS travel variety show Pomnyun Road: The Monk and the Guests.

Pomnyun (born Apr 11, 1953) was ordained in 1969, the year he turned 16, when he received the novice precepts from the monk Domun, and became known in Sep 2010, the year he turned 57, with the publication of Seunimui Juryesa. In 2020, the year he turned 67, he received the Niwano Peace Prize.

Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.

Full timeline · 29 records1969 — 2026   ＋
AGE / YEAR

  1. 16 · 1969
  2. 26 · 1979
  3. 27 · 1980
  4. 28 · 1981
  5. 35 · 1988
    Founding

    Founds the Buddhist practice community Jungto Society

    Founded Jungto Society, a Buddhist practice community. It later set up EcoBuddha (environment), JTS (international relief), Good Friends (refugee support) and the Peace Foundation (unification) as affiliated organizations.

    Source 01 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Pomnyun (monk) · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Namuwiki (Korean) · Pomnyun (monk) · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Namuwiki (Korean) · Pomnyun (monk)/Activities · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Wikipedia · Pomnyun · opens in a new tabSource 29 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Jungto Society · opens in a new tab English Wikipedia says he was 35 then, which matches his birth year. The exact founding date could not be confirmed.
  6. 38 · 1991
    Ordination

    Receives the bhikkhu and dharma transmission precepts

    Received the bhikkhu precepts and the dharma transmission precepts from his teacher Domun and returned as a fully ordained monk. Because he did not take part in the unified ordination, he has worked without monastic registration in the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.

    Source 01 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Pomnyun (monk) · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Namuwiki (Korean) · Pomnyun (monk) · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Pomnyun, the Magsaysay Award winner · opens in a new tab The account of the unified ordination is from Wikipedia and Namuwiki and was not confirmed in news reports. Hankook Ilbo gives this year as his formal ordination.
  7. 41 · 1994
    Environment

    Korea Buddhist Environmental Education Institute (now EcoBuddha) approved

    The environmental group Korea Buddhist Environmental Education Institute received approval as an incorporated association from the Ministry of Environment. In 2005 it was renamed EcoBuddha.

    Source 01 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Pomnyun (monk) · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Namuwiki (Korean) · Pomnyun (monk)/Activities · opens in a new tab Namuwiki’s activities page puts the start of its activity in 1988 and English Wikipedia puts the founding of the organization in 1991, so sources differ.
  8. 43 · 1996
  9. 44 · 1997
    Petition

    One-million-signature drive to send food to North Korean children

    Ran a one-million-signature drive to send food to hungry North Korean children, answering the argument that rice sent from South Korea would be used as rations for the North Korean military.

    Source 05 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Pomnyun, the Magsaysay Award winner · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Pomnyun (monk) · opens in a new tab Based on the Hankook Ilbo interview. Wikipedia describes a separate signature drive from June to August 1995, so the year differs.
  10. 49 · 2002
    Key moment

    Wins the Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding

    Received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding at a ceremony in Manila, the Philippines. The foundation cited his attention to the suffering caused by the division of the Korean Peninsula and his appeals for reconciliation.

    Source 05 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Pomnyun, the Magsaysay Award winner · opens in a new tabSource 06 · Jungto Society (Korean) · About Pomnyun · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Wikipedia · Pomnyun · opens in a new tab
  11. 51 · 2004
  12. 53 · 2006
  13. 54 · 2007
  14. 58 · 2011
    Book

    Publishes Eomma Sueop (a parenting book)

    Published Eomma Sueop, a book on raising children, which entered the bestseller rankings. Asia Economy described him as known to be a mentor of Ahn Cheol-soo, dean of the Seoul National University Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology.

    Source 11 · Asia Economy (Korean) · [BOOK] Pomnyun: “There is a time for a parent’s love” · opens in a new tabSource 12 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · [New book] Pomnyun’s Eomma Sueop · opens in a new tabSource 13 · Maeil Shinmun (Korean) · [Bestsellers] Pomnyun’s new book Eomma Sueop at No. 13 · opens in a new tabSource 14 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Pomnyun: know when to love your children and when to let go · opens in a new tab The exact publication date could not be confirmed, so October is used.
  15. 58 · 2011
    Award

    Wins the Reunification and Culture Award

    Received the grand prize at the sixth Reunification and Culture Award, co-hosted by Segye Ilbo and the Reunification Culture Research Institute.

    Source 30 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · Pomnyun: unification is our people’s task of the times · opens in a new tabSource 06 · Jungto Society (Korean) · About Pomnyun · opens in a new tab Jungto Society’s profile page lists the hosts as Maekyung Media Group and the Reunification Culture Research Institute. This follows the co-hosts named in Segye Ilbo’s report the day after the ceremony.
  16. 59 · 2012
  17. 60 · 2013
    Book

    Insaengsueop (Life Lessons) at No. 1 for 11 straight weeks

    Insaengsueop was No. 1 on the overall bestseller list for 11 straight weeks as of the fourth week of December. Yonhap News Agency called it the best-selling book of the second half of that year.

    Source 16 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · <Bestsellers> Insaengsueop at No. 1 for eight weeks · opens in a new tabSource 17 · Newsis (Korean) · Pomnyun, Jeongmok and Hyemin: a three-way race of monks on the bestseller chart · opens in a new tabSource 18 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · <Bestsellers> New Guillaume Musso novel jumps up the ranks · opens in a new tab The publication date could not be confirmed in news reports. The date is when the 11 straight weeks at No. 1 was reported.
  18. 62 · 2015
  19. 62 · 2015
  20. 65 · 2018
  21. 67 · 2020
    Key moment

    Wins the Niwano Peace Prize

    Received the Niwano Peace Prize, which Korean media call the Nobel Peace Prize of religion in Asia. He donated all of the 20 million yen prize to the International Network of Engaged Buddhists.

    Source 21 · Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Pomnyun wins the “Asian Nobel Peace Prize” and donates all of the prize money · opens in a new tabSource 22 · Asia Economy (Korean) · Pomnyun wins the Niwano Peace Prize · opens in a new tabSource 06 · Jungto Society (Korean) · About Pomnyun · opens in a new tab
  22. 69 · 2022
  23. 69 · 2022
  24. 71 · 2024
  25. 72 · 2025
  26. 72 · 2025
    Book

    Publishes Hyeongmyeongga Buda (Buddha the Revolutionary)

    Published Hyeongmyeongga Buda. It went to No. 1 in the religion bestseller category when pre-orders opened, and Yonhap News Agency reported that his YouTube channel of jeungmun jeungseol lectures had more than 1.5 million subscribers.

    Source 26 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Buddhism boom in publishing too: Buddha’s words at No. 2 this year · opens in a new tab Pre-orders opened Apr. 21. The exact publication date could not be confirmed, so April is used.
  27. 72 · 2025
  28. 73 · 2026

END OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1969–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.

02 / QUICK ANSWERS

Q & AFrequently asked

How old was Pomnyun when he was ordained?
In 1969, the year he turned 16. He met the monk Domun at Bunhwangsa in Gyeongju that December and received the novice precepts. After social activism on his teacher’s advice, he received the bhikkhu precepts in Jan 1991, the year he turned 38, and returned as a fully ordained monk.
How old was Pomnyun when he became famous?
In Sep 2010, the year he turned 57, he published Seunimui Juryesa. Dong-A Ilbo wrote that it made him a bestselling author. After his 2012 appearance on SBS Healing Camp, the year he turned 59, he became known nationwide.
When did Pomnyun found Jungto Society?
In 1988, the year he turned 35. It later set up EcoBuddha (environment), JTS (international relief), Good Friends (refugee support) and the Peace Foundation (unification) as affiliated organizations.
What awards has Pomnyun received?
On Aug 31, 2002, the year he turned 49, he received the Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding, and in 2020, the year he turned 67, the Niwano Peace Prize. In 2018, the year he turned 65, he received the Order of Civil Merit, Moran Medal.
How old is Pomnyun?
Born in 1953, he turns 73 in 2026 (73 as of Sep 22, 2026).
04 / ABOUT THE ARCHIVE

A LIFE,
IN CHAPTERS.

What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.

COLLECTION419Pomnyun / POMNYUN

Education · South Korea
Apr 11, 1953 —

Sources and method30 SOURCES   ＋

Ages are counted from the birth year 1953: the year of the event minus 1953, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.

  1. Wikipedia (Korean) · Pomnyun (monk) ↗Basis for early career items not checked against news reports: novice precepts in 1969, Jungto Society in 1988, full ordination in 1991, EcoBuddha approval in 1994, JTS in 1996
  2. Namuwiki (Korean) · Pomnyun (monk) ↗Basis for details missing from Wikipedia, such as his birthplace (Duseo-myeon, Ulsan), how his monastic registration issue arose in 1991, and a 1997 account of JTS’s founding
  3. Namuwiki (Korean) · Pomnyun (monk)/Activities ↗Basis for his activities: torture in 1979, arrest in 1980, meeting Seoam in 1981, the Peace Foundation in 2004, and the EcoBuddha timeline (1988, 1994, 2005)
  4. Wikipedia · Pomnyun ↗Says he was 35 when he founded Jungto Society in 1988, and that his 2012 appearance on SBS Healing Camp made him known nationwide
  5. Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Pomnyun, the Magsaysay Award winner ↗Sept. 6, 2002: entered Bunhwangsa in Gyeongju in 1969, formally ordained in 1991, ran a one-million-signature drive in 1997 to send food to North Korean children, received the Magsaysay Award in Manila on Aug. 31 (he was 49 at the time)
  6. Jungto Society (Korean) · About Pomnyun ↗Exact dates in his award history (Cheonji Religious Person Prize on Sept. 2, 2010; POSCO Chungam Prize on Mar. 22, 2011; Reunification and Culture Award on Nov. 28, 2011; Kripasaran Award on June 22, 2015; Order of Civil Merit, Moran Medal on Sept. 12, 2018; Niwano Peace Prize on Oct. 26, 2020; Humanities Value Grand Prize on Sept. 21, 2022)
  7. Segye Ilbo (Korean) · [Book in the news] Pomnyun’s Seunimui Juryesa ↗Sept. 14, 2010: published by Hankyoreh Publishing
  8. Herald Muse (Korean) · Seunimui Juryesa takes off ↗Oct. 1, 2010: entered the bestseller list at No. 20 on release and reached No. 8 within a week
  9. Hankyoreh (Korean) · The monk’s wedding sermon arrives ↗Oct. 8, 2010: says the book became a bestseller as soon as it came out
  10. Hankyoreh (Korean) · [Hankyoreh Books of the Year] ↗Dec. 24, 2010: introduces Seunimui Juryesa and calls him a master of jeungmun jeungseol (his question-and-answer lectures)
  11. Asia Economy (Korean) · [BOOK] Pomnyun: “There is a time for a parent’s love” ↗Oct. 17, 2011: describes him as known to be a mentor of Ahn Cheol-soo, dean of the Seoul National University Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology; Eomma Sueop published
  12. Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · [New book] Pomnyun’s Eomma Sueop ↗Oct. 18, 2011: says Seunimui Juryesa made him a bestselling author
  13. Maeil Shinmun (Korean) · [Bestsellers] Pomnyun’s new book Eomma Sueop at No. 13 ↗Oct. 22, 2011
  14. Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Pomnyun: know when to love your children and when to let go ↗Nov. 6, 2011: calls him a pioneer of jeungmun jeungseol; he was 58 at the time
  15. OhmyNews (Korean) · Did you see Healing Camp? The real appeal of Pomnyun ↗May 29, 2012: SBS Healing Camp aired May 28; a case of a viewer in their 20s who got to know him through the broadcast
  16. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · <Bestsellers> Insaengsueop at No. 1 for eight weeks ↗Dec. 6, 2013
  17. Newsis (Korean) · Pomnyun, Jeongmok and Hyemin: a three-way race of monks on the bestseller chart ↗Dec. 20, 2013: describes bestselling author Pomnyun (60)
  18. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · <Bestsellers> New Guillaume Musso novel jumps up the ranks ↗Dec. 27, 2013: Insaengsueop at No. 1 on the overall bestseller list for 11 straight weeks in the fourth week of December, the best-selling book of the second half of the year
  19. OhmyNews (Korean) · The healing power in Pomnyun’s jeungmun jeungseol ↗May 25, 2015: SBS Special aired May 24; he gave 300 lectures in 2012, 100 in 2013 and 115 worldwide in 2014
  20. OhmyNews (Korean) · Pomnyun receives the Moran Medal ↗Nov. 22, 2018: presentation ceremony on Nov. 21 at the Government Complex Seoul; his own remark that he had run a one-million-signature drive in Korea twice
  21. Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Pomnyun wins the “Asian Nobel Peace Prize” and donates all of the prize money ↗Oct. 28, 2020: Niwano Peace Prize, all of the 20 million yen (215 million won) prize donated to the International Network of Engaged Buddhists; the award was decided in February
  22. Asia Economy (Korean) · Pomnyun wins the Niwano Peace Prize ↗Oct. 28, 2020: he was 67 at the time
  23. Jungto Publishing (Korean) · Pomnyun ↗More than 1,200 jeungmun jeungseol sessions held in Korea, a cumulative 1.7 billion views on his YouTube channel (as of April 2022)
  24. Herald Business (Korean) · A happy conversation with Pomnyun, a teacher of our time ↗Nov. 29, 2024: preview article saying Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, would hold a jeungmun jeungseol lecture at the Yeongju Culture and Arts Center on Dec. 4
  25. OhmyNews (Korean) · Open your YouTube, let’s see if we match ↗Mar. 31, 2025: cites his appearance on tvN You Quiz on the Block, aired Jan. 15
  26. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Buddhism boom in publishing too: Buddha’s words at No. 2 this year ↗May 4, 2025: his question-and-answer lectures have more than 1.5 million subscribers; Hyeongmyeongga Buda went to No. 1 in the religion category when pre-orders opened on Apr. 21
  27. Herald Business (Korean) · “I prayed with rice offerings on my head for Min-a” ↗Dec. 23, 2025: officiated at the wedding of Kim Woo-bin and Shin Min-a at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul on Dec. 20
  28. Herald Business (Korean) · Pomnyun: “Giving is what makes beggars” ↗May 20, 2026: SBS Pomnyun Road: The Monk and the Guests premiered May 19 in Kolkata, India, with Noh Hong-chul, Lee Sang-yoon, Lee Joo-bin and Lee Ki-taek
  29. Wikipedia (Korean) · Jungto Society ↗Says it began with the opening of the Jungto Propagation Center in 1988
  30. Segye Ilbo (Korean) · Pomnyun: unification is our people’s task of the times ↗Nov. 29, 2011: received the grand prize at the sixth Reunification and Culture Award ceremony, co-hosted by Segye Ilbo and the Reunification Culture Research Institute at the Seoul Club on the 28th

Fact-checked: 2026.09.22 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.