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Religion in the Republic of Korea
- DATE
- 2020-09-16
Religion in the Republic of Korea
By Karin Ness Kjølstad
Wandering around Seoul, you will easily spot many churches around the city. The abundance of red neon crosses lighting up dark summer nights easily creates an illusion that the Republic of Korea is Christian. But the country has no official state religion. South Korea is often defined as a multi-religious society, and reli-gion has from early days played a significant role in the country’s history and in people’s life.
In the Republic of Korea, 20% of the country’s population identify themselves as Protestant, 15% as Buddhists and 8% as Catholics. In addition, some affiliate themselves with Confucianism, Islam, Shamanism and other native religions. Buddhism and Confucianism have played a significant role throughout history. Buddhism arrived in the Republic of Korea in 372 and is still very visible due to the extraordinary number of temples that have been built over time. Buddhism was the dominant religion on the peninsula until Confucianism was adopted as the state ideology of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Maybe more of an ethical conduct than a religion, Confucianism emphasizes the importance of loyalty, filial piety and respection for one’s ancestors. Confucianism stayed strong through several centuries, but it faded away slowly. However, both Confucianism and Buddhism are still an important part of life for many Koreans.
In the Republic of Korea today, Christianity is the largest religion in numbers. It was introduced in the country during the 18th century, with the Catholic church being the most prominent at first. However, the arrival was off to a turbulent start, with the Roman Catholics being subjected to severe persecution for chal-lenging Confucianism. Nevertheless, Christianity spread among common people across the country, due to its egalitarian appeal. At this point, the Joseon dynas-ty was starting to descend into corruption and instability, and the Christian church seemed like a good alternative. With the arrival of the American mission-aries in the 19th and the aftermath of the 1950-53 Korean war, the Protestant church started to blossom in the country. People were seeking guidance and structure after the war and the church was offering educational institutions and medical services.
As it can be seen above, various religions, belief systems, and ways of living has made their marks in the Korean history. If you ever get a chance to experience Korea sooner or later, it would certainly be very interesting to try to discover how such di-verse religions are in harmony with people’s lives.
Source
- Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Norway
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