Won Buddhism (Korean)
Korean reformist Buddhist tradition founded by Sotaesan Park Chungbin (1916). Distinctive 'Il-Won-Sang' (One Circle) symbol. Mainstream low-control.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — Korean reformist Buddhist tradition; mainstream low-control.
Profile facts
In context
Won Buddhism is a 20th-century Korean Buddhist reform movement emphasising universal practice accessible to lay people. Operates Wonkwang University and substantial humanitarian programmes. Mainstream low-control voluntary tradition.
Recovery resources
- ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — General referral and cult-aware therapist directory.
- INFORM (Information Network on Religious Movements) — LSE-founded UK research-based information service covering new religious movements.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation; BITE-model resources and family-side exit guidance.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Evidence by BITE axis
- mainstream low-control
Timeline
- 1916Founded by Sotaesan in Korea
Evidence matrix
Structured sources cross-linked to the claims they document. Tiered per the source hierarchy. For free-text citations see the Sources section below.
| Title | Type | Reliability | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| WON BUDDHISM AS A KOREAN NEW RELIGION — Numen (2002) | Academic | Secondary | — |
| lire en ligne · archive | Journalism | Secondary | — |
| 한국의 근대문화유산 50 - 새로운 종교 운동의 발원지 | Government | Primary | — |
| “개교100년 원불교, '여성교무 결혼허용' 교헌 개정 논의” · archive | Journalism | Secondary | — |
| http://www.woninstitute.edu/ · archive | Academic | Secondary | — |
Sources
- Bongkil Chung, 'The Scriptures of Won Buddhism: A Translation of the Wŏnbulgyo Kyojŏn with Introduction' (University of Hawaii Press, 2003) search ↗
- WON BUDDHISM AS A KOREAN NEW RELIGION — Numen (2002) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1163%2F156852702760186745 open ↗
- lire en ligne — https://www.chosun.com/culture-life/relion-academia/2021/04/21/RLLEZV5S75G25ETTNZIVGEHOXU/ open ↗
- 한국의 근대문화유산 50 - 새로운 종교 운동의 발원지 — http://www.cha.go.kr/newsBbz/selectNewsBbzView.do;jsessionid=oQ1zAuHXh0DSMsYHVC2cdNd7z7OXKK5THrVHHJJtwGlBCG9o003FTA3y5Hk1js3O.new-was_servlet_engine1?newsItemId=155344073§ionId=ocp&pageIndex=18&mn=NS_01_01&strWhere=&strValue=&sdate=&edate= open ↗
- “개교100년 원불교, '여성교무 결혼허용' 교헌 개정 논의” — https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20150211124800005 open ↗
- http://www.woninstitute.edu/ — http://www.woninstitute.edu/ open ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Where a source includes its own URL, the open ↗ link opens it directly; otherwise search ↗ runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.
Change history
Substantive edits logged per the score-updates policy.
- 2026-05-29Phase 1 Batch J: per-group recovery resources applied via programmatic palette (closest-fit by category + subCategory + score). Palette: Mainstream-comparator lighter.
- 2026-05-20Score band scheme migrated from 4 bands to 5 (Minimal 0–5 / Low 6–12 / Moderate 13–20 / High 21–30 / Extreme 31–40). No CLCI value changed; the new Minimal band was carved out of the bottom of the previous Low band.
Relevant hubs
Curated entry points on CLCI Hub for situations connected to this group.
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