Milan (AsiaNews) – In August 2027, Seoul will welcome young Catholics from around the world for World Youth Day, as well as the pope. But what kind of religious landscape will they find in today’s South Korea?
In our series Road to Seoul, an AsiaNews column appearing every Monday in the lead-up to this major event, marking the return of World Youth Day to Asia, we examine the context through the lens of its religious dimensions, which are, as is often the case in the East, far more complex than simple numbers might suggest.
Caught between tradition and modernity, and balancing social roles with the emphasis on individual identity, contemporary South Korea is navigating a transition that is not without its contradictions, even in the spiritual realm.
Religious statistics
In 2024, a survey by Hankook Research, one of South Korea’s leading research institutes, found that 51 per cent of South Korea’s 52 million people now report having no religious affiliation. A separate study conducted by Gallup the following year showed that this figure was as high as 76 per cent among young people aged 20 to 30, nearly double the proportion recorded in 2000.
In the half of the population that professes a religion, Christians currently constitute the largest group, around 31 per cent (20 per cent Evangelical and 11 per cent Catholic), the highest percentage in Asia outside of the Philippines and Timor Leste, the only two predominantly Catholic nations.
Despite its historical and cultural significance, only 16 per cent of the population currently identifies as Buddhist, while the remaining small percentage is divided among various groups, churches of diverse origins, and the Muslim community.
This situation may appear strange, if not paradoxical, given that a large portion of the population is disenchanted with religion, and many no longer identify with Buddhism, areligionthat was once the majority. However, the reality of how people relate to the sacred is far more complex;andit is perhaps best understood by considering an instrumental approach to religiosity.
In South Korea today, there is a tendency to engage with any form of faith, provided it proves useful for achieving one’s goals. It is not uncommon for Christians or Buddhists to consult figures or guides from other traditions, should they find it useful for their own needs.
The role of Confucianism
This pragmatic rather than spiritual approach may well be rooted in Confucianism, the moral doctrine that served as the state ideology throughout the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910).
While it gave rise to its own specific practices and rituals, South Korea today is not a Confucian country in terms of religion or formal institutional affiliation with a particular faith. However, its society, culture, and values are rooted in a Confucian heritage that continues to serve as a foundational ethical and social framework, shaping how South Koreans interact with their families, authority, and society as a whole.
Although younger generations may share with their elders a lack of interest in organised religion, and may even question the traditional priority given to collective harmony over individual needs, the Confucian influence still profoundly shapes their way of thinking; for instance, in the high value placed on education.
It may come as a surprise perhaps that, despite the striking modernity evident in the forms of expression and the attitudes of much of the population, a shamanic tradition persists in Korea, one that transcends specific religious affiliations and is recognised as a source of support for personal well-being and spiritual needs.
Shamans, mostly women (mudang), are intermediaries between the human and supernatural worlds and are popular and respected figures. The ceremonies and ritual dances that form part of their repertoire often take centre stage at local and national events, drawing large crowds.
The phenomenon of new religions
There is also the phenomenon of new religions (or pseudo-religions for some) that have carved out a niche for themselves. Some blend elements from Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism in various ways. Others are indigenous “churches” that have incorporated and reinterpreted Christian elements, followed by 1 per cent of the population.
These groups generally possess a strong nationalist character, are particularly aggressive in their proselytising efforts, and demand unwavering commitment from their members.
Among the seven major cults or “churches” that originated inSouthKorea, some seek to play, directly or indirectly, a political role, which hasledto controversiesand tensions.
One example involves the investigationslaunchedby theincumbentpresident, Lee Jae-myung,a liberal-leaning Protestant,into the Shincheonji Church of Jesus and the Unification Church, the latter founded in 1954 by the late Reverend Moon and active well beyondSouthKorea’s borders.
Such groups have been accused of trying to prevent Lee’s election and, like others, have been implicated in political scandals. The president’s proposal to dissolve religious organisations that seek to influence politics has sparked a heated debate over the constitutionality of such a step.
The arrest of certain religious leaders has also drawn sharp criticism from the conservative opposition, which view these actions as being at odds with democracy.
The issue remains extremely delicate since the Constitution of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) guarantees freedom of religion and worship.; however, it is also true that certain characteristics and practices of “new” religious movements can be a source of social concern.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, the Shincheonji Church of Jesus was the source of the spread of the virus, since it refused to halt public gatherings despite health warnings.
The Catholic Church
For its part, Catholicism developed in the 18th century thanks to laypeople who had read a book by the Jesuit Matteo Ricci, in which he presented the core of Christianity to China in the form of a dialogue with a Confucian scholar, expanding later thanks to the witness of martyrs during the brutal persecution carried out for much of the 19th century by the Joseon dynasty.
The Catholic Church eventually experienced strong growth in the 1970s and 1980s, thanks to the its commitment to human rights, freedom, and democracy during the years of military dictatorship. In a few decades, the percentage of South Koreans who are Catholic rose from 1 per cent to 11 per cent of the country’s population.
At present, they form a dynamic community, but for some years now, its growth has stalled, and the local Church, too, has to contend with the progressive movement of young people away from religious practice.
THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF ROAD TO SEOUL, ASIANEWS’ WEEKLY COLUMN LEADING UP TO WYD 2027. READ HERE ALL THE ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN THIS SECTION.
