Ruling Saenuri Party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye met with Ven. Jaseung, the head of the Jogye Order, South Korea's largest Buddhist sect, on Monday to win support for her campaign to promote national unity.

The 60-year-old lawmaker who won her party's presidential nomination on Aug. 20 held talks with the monk and stressed that pushing for national unity could lead to the happiness of the people.

Park also said that she planned to show more interest in promoting Buddhist culture, which is a key part of Korean heritage.

In response, Ven. Jaseung said he hoped the Saenuri leader will be able to meet her goal of promoting happiness for the people and national unity.

Party sources said the meeting was part of the ongoing effort to seek unity as well as to win over Buddhists who have turned their backs on incumbent President Lee Myung-bak.

Rep. Hong Il-pyo, Saenuri's spokesman, claimed Park's meeting could help heal discord and mark a new milestone for unifying society.

The visit by the Saenuri candidate comes after she visited the graves of late presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun the day after she won her party's nomination. As the two liberal presidents were Park's political opponents, the visits were seen by observers as a move to mend fences ahead of the Dec. 19 presidential election.

Park, meanwhile, had to postpone talks with the president of the Christian Council of Korea Rev. Hong Jae-cheol and Cardinal Cheong Jin-suk of the Roman Catholic Church, that were also set for Monday, because she had to attend the opening ceremony of the parliament's plenary session. (Yonhap News)