Dankuk

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5478.7.21. (Thurs)
Leaders of the 7 National Religions Call for Unity in Unprecedented Resolution

In a never-before seen development in the Kingdom of Great Bae, the leaders of the 7 National Religions gathered in Gongmangdo's Beonyeong Palace under the auspices of His Majesty the Sinp'ung Isageum to sign a joint resolution called the 'Co-Prosperous Harmony Declaration'. The Declaration mutually acknowledged that "all faith and religious practice are efforts to express compassion, fulfillment, and spiritual enlightenment for both the self and community". It further went on to confirm that all leaders present bore no ill will towards each other and that they would move forward to "precisely and thoughtfully cooperate on spiritual matters and the public welfare". The declaration then declared that all 7 leaders were in full confidence and support for His Majesty and that they would commit themselves to mutually cooperating and making the Kingdom of Great Bae a prosperous and harmonious society where all people are respected.

These "7 National Religions" are the most common in the nation accounting for over 90% of all citizens; Protestant Hosianism (represented by Reverend Yoon Minji of the Society of Baegukese Churches), Draniano Universal Hosianism (represented by Patriarch Josue Sobong of the Draniano Universal Church), Daenism (represented by Sojosan of the Cheonggye Order of Daenism), Sindo Daenism (represented by Kwak Jongmae of the Gwisan School), Jienism (represented by Ko Jip of Gongmangdo Dae-Munmyo), Kutkil (represented by Park Jae Ch'an of the National Society of Sŭsŭngs), and Shamanism (represented by Sērun Ŋə̄rihokto of The Association of Baegukese National Religions). Historically there was much tension and bloodshed between the various religions for control over the nation, as evidenced by the violent Hosian inquisitions of the Egelian Colonial Period and later state-mandated Sindo-Daenism. In the modern day, religion is no longer a topic of overt social conflict. Nonetheless, religious differences have been causes of discrimination, social ostracization, and violent fights between different individuals even if institutions officially discourage them. Many believe that this declaration is intended to mitigate the lingering affects of religious tension by seeking compromise and co-existence beginning with reforming the teachings and leaders of every denomination.

Notably, the Declaration did not institute any sort of official recognition for the 7 National Religions as the only legitimate state-sanctioned faiths in Baeguk. Constitutionally, the KGB remains a nominally secular state with guaranteed freedoms of religion. Beonyeong Palace's Office of Public Relations confirmed that the declaration was a symbolic gesture meant to unite the 7 main religions perceived as holding the most national significance among the population, and that it did not mean to necessarily exclude any other faiths that were not invited. The Palace OPR further clarified that His Majesty welcomed any other groups to declare their support for the message.

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Xsampan Delegation Hosted in Gongmangdo, "Tractors-for-Silicon" Deal Struck

5479.6.11. - His Majesty the Sinp'ung Isageum bid the delegation of the Xsampan Democratic Republic farewell yesterday in what may be the first in many future engagements to come. Since the collapse of South Xsampa in the year 5374, the Kingdom was unable to engage in diplomacy in the Xsampan region due to differences and difficulties with the new radical governments. From that year until now - more than a century - Baeguk and Xsampa had no formal diplomatic ties. However, since the Xsampan government's turn towards an increasingly Pan-Dovanian outlook, the KGB has been looking to come to a consensus and move forward with building ties as partners.

That thaw came last week, when Beonyeonggung Palace announced that it would be hosting a summit with the Xsampan government. The Xsampan Head of State, General Secretary Damchoe Tsemo, arrived Monday and was paraded around Gongmangdo's Kungmal District in Gwangdamun Plaza; the comrade looked starkly out of place in a black limo caravan alongside the brightly colored traditional floats and carriages of the Royal Daechwita Procession. An evening banquet was held showcasing various national delicacies of the Kingdom such as Caviar Roe, Jeonbokjuk, Seolleongtang, Yukgaejang, Bosintang, Yukhoe, Raengmyeon, Samgyetang, and grilled meats. The next days consisted mainly of meetings between foreign ministers and their peers, with General Secretary Tsemo negotiating with Prime Minister and Baegukese Head of Government Sim Soyon.

The summit saw both nations formally recognize each other in their sovereign capacities, establishing plans for embassies in their respective capitals. In addition, a new treaty titled the "Economic Development Agreement Between the Kingdom of Great Bae and the Xsampan Democratic Republic", or EDA for short, was ratified between the two parties. Xsampa is a centrally planned socialist economy, which means that Baegukese public companies cannot invest or develop in it like other nations. However, under the auspices of the Royal Government, the farming equipment manufacturer Hanbat, a subsidiary of the esteemed chaebol conglomerate Hanulro Group, were granted a contract with the Xsampan government to produce 5,000 tractor units for the year 5480. In return, the Xsampan government-run State Mineral Company will give the 5% of Silicon extracted from the year 5480; the National Bank of the Kingdom of Great Bae will compensate Hanbat in assets equivalent to the total market cost of said Silicon.

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5479, November 10

大花拜國 外交部
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Reino de Pénara
Penru Ŋōdidunne Hutəbu Bugagirkinŋi
Ministry of Foreign Relations of the Kingdom of Great Bae

Advisory for Religious Missionaries Seeking Entrance into the Kingdom of Great Bae

Beginning at 12:00 AM GMT on 5480 May 1, the Kingdom of Great Bae's Bureau of Transit Security (BTS) will be changing policies regarding the visitation of foreign missionaries . Current policy that will stand until 5480 May 1 requires all foreign citizens seeking to practice religious evangelism in the Kingdom to list in on their BTS Declaration Form 5038C at the box asking: "Is the main purpose of your trip to spread religious or spiritual practices?". In addition, missionaries coming to the KGB must complete their BTS Condition Form 5A, which asks various questions about their beliefs and motives to come practice in the Kingdom of Great Bae. During your processing at the airport under current regulations, you will be ushered into a specialized office for brief interrogation. This is to ensure that all missionaries are evaluated on a case-to-case basis to erase any chances of there being a national security defect.

However, from 5480 May 1, your eligibility to preform missionary activities in the Kingdom will be defined by careful screening and pre-screening processes pursuant to the Act to Establish Firmer Regulations on the Permeation of Foreign Religious Activity in Baeguk. Please advise as eligibility relates not only to the religious organization you belong to - certain organizations are to be blacklisted - but also what nation you are a citizen of. Once you have verified initial eligibility for organization and nationality, you can submit your BTS Condition Form 132D, in which you must disclose your motives, experience, criminal past, any people in the KGB you have contacted in the past 5 years, and the residence at which you plan to stay. Once your form is received and approved, you can move onto the recommendation process. Applicants will have to acquire and submit two separate letters of recommendation from Baegukese citizens in good standing that have been citizens for a minimum of 15 years and have a clean criminal record in order to be considered. If these letters are not rejected, you will advance to the third and final stage of the application process. Applicants will be interviewed at a Baegukese embassy or consulate in their nation. If you are deemed fit to enter the Kingdom and practice missionary work, then you will gain your Missionary VISA and be allowed to practice in the nation for the duration of your stay. Be very mindful that illegal missionary practice is a crime punishable by up to a ㉤ 15,000 fine and immediate deportation.

If you are a missionary currently practicing in the Kingdom and have not received a license from the KGB Residence and Immigration Agency (RIA), please contact your nearest RIA office immediately or seek counsel at your local embassy; you may be subject to deportation after 5480 May 1.

Nations that have been pre-emptively declared eligible for evaluation are:
- Kazulia
- Ostland
- Seko
- Yingdala
- Mikuni
- Lourenne
- Egelion

The list will continue to adapt and change over time as it is reevaluated. For more Luthorian language information, please visit the BTS' website at www.bts.gb.gov/luth/travel/security-screening/missionary-work/info

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'Hysteria' - Nation Still Reeling over Lacholam Incident

5480.2.5. - Today marks the solemn 220 day anniversary of the Lacholam Incident in Seongtaek Metropolitan City, when Metropolitan Police finally uncovered an intricate sexual abuse trafficking operation years in the making done by a foreign-led religious cult. The police chase and arrest of the Lacholam cult leaders made national news and triggered a wave of xenophobic scrutiny against foreign missionaries in the KGB, with many fearing that the uncovering of the Lacholam abuse could be the beginning of a long string of cult abuses perpetrated by powerful foreigners.

The Lacholam Order (Xsampan: ལྷ་ཆོས་ལམ་, 'Way of the Dharma') was founded by Dzongsar Lodrö, a Xsampan anti-communist dissident and exile that was granted WDU citizenship as a political exile. Initially welcome to the Kingdom in the 50s, as head of the Lacholam Order, Lodrö worked well to grow his following under the teachings of Xsampan mysticism, reportedly promising followers economic wealth and spiritual enlightenment if they committed themselves to building the Order, often without actual compensation. Lodrö began to seduce and sexually abuse his growing number of female followers, creating an internal culture of shame and paranoia to avoid word slipping out. That all ended in 5479, when an undercover reporter for the publication Kungminui Moksori released damning testimony and documentation revealing his sexual crimes. Lodrö attempted to flee the country but was caught and apprended during the Lacholam Incident, which saw attempted mass suicide of Order members and left deep scars on Seongtaek's moral fabric as the public became outraged at the revelations. Ultimately, Lodrö was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment. He suffered blunt trauma to the head in prison during a fight and ultimately succumbed to his wounds just 3 months into the sentence.

The Act to Establish Firmer Regulations on the Permeation of Foreign Religious Activity in Baeguk, widely known as the Kwak Anti-Cult Act after bill author Kwak Sang-Jung, was passed last year during the moral outrage following the incident. The legislation restricts all missionary activity from foreign nations to a predetermined list of "friendly" nations and implements a prohibitive screening process involving a robust course of letters and interviews to ensure high security. The KGB's Foreign Ministry and Bureau of Transit Security (BTS) both released statements updating and outlining their new policies in the wake of the new law.

Although the Xsampan government voiced disapproval for Dzongsar Lodrö's presence, the incident nonetheless caused much anti-Xsampan ethnic sentiment in the Kingdom. Many angry citizens protested around the newly opened Embassy of the Xsampan Democratic Republic in Gongmangdo's Eumcheon-gu District, creating a nasty look for just recently thawed relations between the Kingdom and the nominally communist Dovanian state. The Ministry of Foreign Relations issued statements calling for level-headedness.

We understand and celebrate that the freedoms of speech and assembly are the right of the people of the Kingdom of Great Bae. However, for actions to occur in front of the Xampan Embassy is the unfounded, misdirected, and an unfortunate result of unrelated circumstances concerning the regrettable and tragic state of the so-called Lacholam Order Affair in Seongtaek Metropolitan City. The Foreign Ministry must correct the record that to protest against the Embassy of the Xsampan Democratic Republic, which opposed the practice of the Lacholam Order, is to cause disruptive conduct of ill repute against a friendly party. We caution and strongly advise KGB citizens against taking their rights of protest into the grounds of the embassy; otherwise the Kingdom must use the powers of the law to prevent their trespassing of Xsampan soil. Please keep all manners of protest orderly and on the sovereign territory of our Kingdom.