The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Seoul

South Korea's President Lee Myung-Bak, a devout Christian, on Tuesday apologised to the nation's Buddhists following nationwide protests against alleged religious bias by his administration.

Lee was speaking at a cabinet meeting which approved regulations banning religious discrimination by public servants.

"It is deeply regrettable that some government officials offended the Buddhist community-even if they did not not mean to-with such words and behaviour as could cause misunderstanding about a religious bias," he said.

Leaders of the country's 10 million Buddhists-outnumbered by 13.7 million Christians-had threatened more mass protests unless Lee apologised.

The largest Buddhist order, the Jogye, said his remarks represented "a more sincere attitude" by the government. But it repeated demands for the sacking of the national police chief over an alleged insult to its head monk, Jigwan.

The Buddhist protests, rare in a country that guarantees freedom of religion, followed months of street rallies against US beef imports which rocked Lee's administration.

Buddhists have been uneasy over what they see as a Christian bias since Lee, a Presbyterian church elder, came to power on February 25.