Buddhist monks caught playing poker for 13 hours

Six Buddhist monks were caught playing poker at a luxury hotel in South Korea. Senior monks were drinking alcohol, smoking and making high stakes being unaware of the surveillance camera near them.

The Jogye Order, to which the monks belonged, launched internal investigation of the incident, the Korea Herald said. The Jogye Order says six senior monks offered to resign Thursday over the scandal.

South Korean TV networks aired the video of the monks from the Jogye Order sitting cross-legged and playing cards. Some of them are seen smoking and drinking. 

The scandal erupted just days before Koreans observe a national holiday to celebrate the birth of Buddha, the holiest day of the religion's calendar.

It was also said that the monks had been playing poker for 13 hours. They started at 8 p.m. and finished at 9 a.m. They managed to earn the total of $875,000. A senior monk with the order said that the money must have been taken from the believers' donations.