The Crucifixion of South Korean Churches
Since the introduction of Christianity to Korea in the 1500s and its growing prevalence especially in the beginning of the 20th century, Christianity has become a major religion in South Korean society, with Christians making up 23% of the population in 2021.
Compared to the past, however, the Christian population of South Korea is decreasing. In fact, the number of people who follow any religion is decreasing, especially for the younger age groups between 19 and 40. In 1984, 44% of the sample group were religious, while in 2021, only 40% were.
Similarly, more people believe that religion’s influence on society is diminishing more than the past. Before the turn of the 21st century, an average of 66% of survey participants (including atheists) responded that religion’s influence on society was increasing, but in 2021, a mere 18% of participants responded that religion’s influence was increasing.
Furthermore, religion’s importance in daily life is decreasing over time. In 1984, 68% of participants responded that religion is very or somewhat important to their lives, while in 2021, 38% did.
What does this all mean? Crudely put, religion is getting old. As seen by the difference in the number of theists between age demographics, younger people tend to be less religious and feel that religion has less of an impact on their lives and society than older people.
There are many reasons for this trend. One could be that living in South Korea today is easier than 20 years ago, especially considering the effects of the Korean War in 1950-1953. South Korea’s GNI per capita increased by 29,050% from $120 to $34,980 in today’s USD (unadjusted for inflation), and its poverty rate has decreased as well. Poverty has a strong correlation with religiosity, perhaps because religion can provide the poor with moral support and give a reason to be ascetic, so an increase in quality of life might’ve decreased people’s dependence on religion.
Another cause could be that people are just busier and have less time to practice a religion. While Christianity may not be as time-consuming as, for example, Islam, there are still expectations from church members to attend worship once a week. Yes, statistically, people from all around the world are working much less than in the pre-industrial revolution times, but people feel busier because technology has enabled us to become constantly connected to work and social groups.
However, the most significant cause of the decline of adherents reported in the aforementioned 2021 study is simple: disinterest. 54% of participants in 2021 answered that they do not practice a religion because they have no interest. In other words, they do not feel the need for it compared to the past as explained above.
The changing sentiment of society may be one reason for religion's decline in popularity in South Korea, but another, more problematic, reason may be the deformation of religious institutions, namely ones of Christianity.
Christian missionaries assisted in easing some of the pressures faced by South Korean households during the terrible economic and moral circumstances during and after the Korean War. Whether this was by adopting orphans, providing free food and shelter, or giving education, South Koreans “came to view the Americans as saviors, and the Americans’ religion, Christianity, as a source of strength and wealth,” wrote freelance writer Dave Hazzan in his 2016 The Diplomat article. Churches also gave followers the opportunity to have a sense of belonging in a social group. In 1993, the Yoido Full Gospel Church (여의도 순복음 교회) had 700,000 members in a single congregation,one of the most ever recorded. Many enjoyed the family-like relationships, and could even “help each other to make business networks, deal making, and so on and so on,” said Dr. Song Jae-Ryong, professor of sociology at Kyunghee University and former president of the Korean Association for the Sociology of Religion in the same Diplomat article.
Unfortunately, the state of some Christian institutions today has degenerated into corruption and deception. Headlines scream of controversial familial successions and sexual assaults by religious leaders. Pastors claim that Bill Gates enslaves people with the COVID-19 vaccine. Embezzling money and bribery have become part of the megachurch norm. Countless times have churches ignored COVID-19 regulations. There is no end to the media coverage of the darker side of South Korean churches, a fraction of what is left unreported. Religion can be a tool to explain mysteries of the universe, but it also can be a tool to exploit people's fear of the unknown for power and wealth.
What needs to be done is evident: all financial activity must be transparent to the public, and the imperious power hierarchy within the church must be abolished. Regardless of what God Himself deems to be "holy," there are still some basic human rights that cannot be infringed upon. When the majority of South Koreans seek transparency, is it truly undemocratic to demand it? There should be no argument to begin with–the situation is clear-cut and calls for neither further justification nor tolerance.
However, what can be done is less clear. In the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, Article 20 states that one, “all citizens shall enjoy freedom of religion”, and two, “no state religion shall be recognized, and religion and state shall be separated.” For this reason, religious leaders, including priests, pastors, and nuns, were excused from paying income taxes for 70 years starting in 1978, until the Income Tax Law was finally revised in 2018: a prime example of how challenging it is to pass legislation involving religion.
But it’s not too late. While retaliation is inevitable, President Yoon must remember that even if these megachurches have millions of followers, it is incomparable to the tens of millions who suffer directly and indirectly from these, dare I say, corporations. Yoon must be proactive about reforming the current Korean megachurch. A reformation is needed and needed now.
Given the length of time and degree to which corruption has institutionalized itself in South Korean churches, it could appear to be inescapable and a reality the country must come to terms with as the new normal. But as long as democracy endures in the hearts of South Korean civilians, as it has for all of South Korean history, all forms of authority—religious or otherwise—will bow before the will of the people.
Further reading:
"The Study on the Problems of the Current Korean Churches" by Hai Lee