The Catholic Church in South Korea is called Cheonjugyo (Hangul(Korean): 천주교; Hanja(Chinese characters): 天主教). This literally means, "Religion of the Lord of Heaven".
Government surveys show that more than 45% of South Koreans practise no religion, that about 22% are Buddhists and that 29.2% are Christians with 11.1% being Catholics and 18% being Protestants, meaning that Christianity is the largest religion.
The Catholic Church in South Korea has seen significant growth in recent years. Part of this growth can be attributed to the Church's relatively positive perception by the general public. This is mainly because of its role in the democratization of South Korea, its active participation in various works of social welfare, and its respectful approach to interfaith relationship and matters of traditional Korean spirituality.
Tokmyeong Dong Parish Church
South Korea is not known as a Catholic country. However, Catholics constitute a rather significant part of South Korea’s population. According to the 2019 statistics, there are a total of 5, 914,669 Catholics in South Korea. This represents 11.1 percent of the total population (53,121,668) in South Korea. There are also about 5,480 priests, both religious and diocesan which means that each priest attends to around 1,079 Christians. As far as parishes are concerned, there are around 1756 parishes in total with 709 secondary stations or the so called outstations. There are also 42 bishops in total.
These numbers might be somewhat misleading since the actual influence of Catholicism in the country is much stronger than it might seem on the surface. This is because Catholics are overrepresented among the elite. Generally speaking, the higher one looks in Korea’s social hierarchy, the more likely one is to find Catholics.
On top of that, there are 48 religious institutes for men with a total of 1,594 members of which are out for foreign mission works. There are also 121 religious institutes for women with a total of 10,159 members of which 1,099 are sent out for foreign mission works. It is also important to note that there are also seminarians. There are also lay missionaries and catechists. Their numbers are: 1, 209; 98 and 1,048 respectively.
South Korea has fifteen territorial dioceses (three archdioceses and twelve dioceses) and one military diocese. Their names are as follows: Archdiocese of Seoul, Archdiocese of Daegu, Archdiocese of Gwangju, Incheon, Suwon, Uijeongbu, Chunchon, Wonju, Daejon, Pusan, Andong, Masan, Cheongju, Jeonju and Jeju dioceses respectively.
Taejon Diocese ordinations 2020
It is a bit strange because in most non-European countries where Catholics are influential nowadays, Catholicism was first introduced by colonial powers. Such countries are mostly former colonies of Europe’s Catholic nations (namely Spain, Portugal and France). Korea, on the other hand, was colonised by a decisively non-Catholic, and for that matter, non-Christian country: Japan. The phenomenal success of Catholicism in Korea can only really be understood through the 200-year history of the South Korean Catholic church. It is its position in the political and social spheres which brought the unexpected success it enjoys today.
Catholicism in South Korea: a religion of modernity
In the late 18th and early 19th century, Catholicism came to be seen in Korea as a religion of modernity and science. In the 1970s and 1980s, it came to be seen as the religion of the democratic movement that opposed the military dictatorships then in charge of the country.
The Catholic doctrine began to spread in Korea in the late 18th century in the most unusual fashion: It was introduced by books, not missionaries. The 18th century was a time of considerable intellectual ferment in Korea. The younger members of the educated gentry (yangban) class felt increasingly disappointed by the ossified scholastics of neo-Confucianism, which at that time was the official state ideology.
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However, all Western books were translated into classical Chinese. By then, this was the only language of intellectual discourse in China and Korea, by Western Catholic missionaries then operating in China. Predictably, these technological and scientific books retained a number of positive references to Christianity. Thus it was that many of these young intellectuals began to read translated Christian texts as well. Many of them felt that they had finally found the truth, and, so to say, converted themselves.
This was how, by the late 1790s, there came to be a few thousand Catholic believers in Korea. Most of these people had never seen a Catholic priest before, let alone been baptised. The first Korean to be baptised by an ordained priest was a man called Lee Sung-hun. Lee managed to visit China in 1784 as a clerk in a Korean diplomatic mission and encountered missionaries there.
The Korean government did not look favourably on the gradual spread of Catholicism. It was seen as potentially dangerous because it could be used by Western powers in their imperialist endeavours. It was also seen as repulsive since Catholics refused to make sacrificial offerings to the souls of their ancestors. The latter was seen as an obscene and grotesque violation of the principle of filial piety.
As a result, several waves of persecution ensued. This was how the 124 martyrs beatified by Pope Francis, as well as the 103 martyrs beatified by Pope John-Paul II lost their lives. These inquisitions killed thousands of believers, including the Chinese, French and Korean priests who since the early 1800s secretly operated in Korea.
Haemi Martyrs Sanctuary
However, such harsh methods brought only partial success at best. Catholicism continued to grow and spread among educated and progressive-minded Koreans. One can even find a certain irony in this decision. At the same time as Catholicism was being repressed in Korea as a symbol of Western modernity, it was increasingly seen as an anti-modern and reactionary force elsewhere in the world.
In the 1980's, the annual growth rate of Catholics was 7.54% which was a twentyfold increase compared to the 1960's and 1970's and much greater than that of the Protestant Churches or other religions. In 1989, Catholics numbered 2,610,000 or 6 percent of the population. However from the 1990's the increase rate of Catholics has been relatively slow-downed and increase rate in 1997 recorded only 3.2 percent with total 3,676,211 faithful or 7.9 percent of the population. Currently, as we have just noted, the number of Catholics remains at 11.1% of the total population as per the 2019 statistics. The major impetus for this rapid growth was the general situation of the Korean society at the time when human rights abuses were rampant. Also when the process of industrialization and urbanization led many people to the social alienation, the Catholic Church came in strongly. In such a context people sought out the faith to establish their self-identity and to find an explanation to the realities at the time.
Tokmyeong Dong Parish: Last Supper Mass with our confreres in Taejon
Another reason why many sought out the Catholic Church was because it showed a greater determination than other religions in the efforts to realize social justice and to improve human rights of the oppressed. We also have to note that Korean society is a multi-religious society and that half of the population practically have no religion. Therefore the majority of new comers were able to become Catholics without having to go through a process of religious conversion. This can be seen as a cultural element that is different from that of other countries.
The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the South Korean Catholicism
The Korean laity of today has been firmly committed to voluntary service within the Church. Thanks to their dedication many great ecclesiastical events have always been realized. They have even gladly accepted the financial responsibility for most of the events and committed themselves in various activities for evangelization. They also participate actively in: liturgy, prayer groups; especially Legio Mariae, biblical sharing and formation, basic Catholic theology and even faith groups. It is also very interesting to note that the Korean Catholics have a special devotion to visiting holy places. This is the reason why most if not all make pilgrimages to martyrs shrines within the country or Marian pilgrimages in the world, as well as visits to the holy land and the missionary journey of St. Paul.
Tokmyeong Dong Parish: mass with our confreres in Taejon
The Korean Catholic church does a commendable job as far as charity activities are concerned within or outside South Korea. Caritas Korea for example, is a big church entity that provides help and support especially to the needy in the society. We have to note that to fund these charity activities, the source is none other than the generous contributions of the Korean catholic faithful.
As for the Korean migrants in foreign countries, the South Korean Catholic Church has also established their pastoral care. This is by sending priests and religious in order to accompany them in their journey of faith, given the linguistic and cultural challenges. There are also many Korean priests and religious doing missionary work in other countries. Be reminded also that the Korean catholic faithful accords a lot of respect to its religious leaders.
However since the 1980's the Church in Korea has gradually become a Church of the middle class. The intellectual level of Catholics in general was much higher than that of the average Korean people. The majority of them lived in large cities and adjoining areas. Many Catholics could be found in administrative or professional occupations. The average monthly income of Catholics was higher than that of the average Korean family.
On the one hand this meant that the Church in Korea has become rich in human and material resources. But on the other hand, the Church, being transformed into a church of the middle class people, has created such atmosphere that those of the poorer strata would distance themselves from it. If the Church is led by a specific class of people, universal salvation which is the goal of the Church's existence cannot be realized.
Tokmyeong Dong Parish: Our Lady's night celebration
As one of the current pastoral concerns, the Catholic Church in South Korea should look into the re-evangelization of the faithful. This is because of the rapid social changes. Many youths do not participate in church activities. There is a big risk that the Catholic Church in South Korea is marked only by the old aged thus no much hope for continuity in the future. Therefore, there is need for the church’s concern about challenges such as individualism, materialism and competition emerging in Korean society, which lead young people to lose the sense of faith and lead them astray from the authentic values of their culture.
We can also highlight on the fact that the diocese –centred pastoral ministry needs some missionary element. Not just focus on the so called maintenance pastoral care (celebration of only sacraments). The church still needs to play a key role in its path of rapprochement and reconciliation between North and South, attention to foreign migrants, promoting the values of: equality, justice, dignity and human rights; education, reconciliation as well as fruitful exchange between different cultures and religions.
There is also a danger of the South Korean Catholic Church taking a clericalism direction. Attention should be given to this fact. It is high time for the evangelical, spiritual and pastoral conversion of Korean priests, hence ‘need to rediscover their passion for evangelization’. The negative impact of clericalism is a big regret. This is considering the fact that, if the Korean Church still exists today, it is because of the faith and activities of the lay faithful who kept the faith alive during the persecution and afterwards. Given the influence of materialism and secularization among Korean priests, there is need for them to find joy in walking on the path of Christ, living a more coherent life, poor in worldliness and rich in Gospel values.
We recall with gratitude the fact that the Korean Catholic Church is marking a year-long celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of St. Andrew Kim Daegon. The celebrations began on the first week of Advent, 29th November 2020 and are said to conclude on 27th November, 2021, the eve of the first Sunday of Advent. Kim Daegon is the first native Catholic priest of Korea, who was martyred in the 19th century. He is said to be a guide and symbol of faith lived in charity and brotherhood.
Solme Sanctuary: Birth House of Saint Kim Daegon
For sure the bicentenary of the birth of St. Andrew Kim Daegon is an auspicious occasion for the spiritual growth of the Church in South Korea. It will also give the Korean church all the opportunity to interiorize the spirituality of martyrdom. On top of that, there is need to reflect seriously on the catholic identity and consistency of the South Korean catholic faithful.
We conclude this piece noting the words of the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, sent to the Korean Church on behalf of Pope Francis for the bicentenary celebrations. He said the Holy Father is praying that this outstanding legacy of Korean martyrs will empower all of God's people to work for the preaching of the Gospel and for the expansion of the Kingdom of God of holiness, justice and peace. “In this way, the Korean Church will be a home that is always more and more open, while walking with people's lives, supporting hope, building bridges, and sowing seeds of unity and reconciliation.”
Incheon Diocese ordinations: Geoffrey is first from the left while being ordained Deacon.
