Who is Monks from A Single Shard and what is their importance?

The monks live in a monastery in the hills over Ch'ulp'o. They often take in the homeless, providing them with shelter until they are ready to move out on their own or they take their vows to become monks as well. When Tree-ear arrived in Ch'ulp'o as a toddler, he was to go to the monks, but sickness had closed their doors, and he was placed with Crane-man as a result. When the monks finally came for Tree-ear, he refused to go with them.