Lesson 1: Religion in South Korea Introduction

Study Contents Overview and Statistics Folk Beliefs Shamanism Buddhism Confucianism Christianity

Overview and Statistics

Overview and Statistics cont’d Religion is important in all cultures. It reflects the covert culture and the innate values or world views of the people. In Korea, the study of religion can be used to explain not only the group subconsciousness but also the history of Koreans. Generally speaking, foreign religions were adopted by the elite, and the indigenous religions in Korea such as shamanism have survived in a purer form among the populace. Religion in South Korea is dominated by the traditional Buddhist faith and a large and growing Christian population. The practice of both of these faiths has been strongly influenced by the enduring legacies of Korean Confucianism, which was the official ideology of the 500-year-long Joseon Dynasty, and Korean shamanism, the native religion of the Korean Peninsula.

Overview and Statistics cont’d According to a 2005 survey conducted by the South Korean government, more than half of the South Korean population professed to have a religious faith. The two predominant religions were Christianity (29.3%) and Buddhism (22.8%). As for the Christians, protestants (18.3%) outnumbered Catholics (10.9%). South Korea has the third largest percentage of Christians in East Asia, followed by the Philippines and East Timor. Except for the Christian groups, which maintain a fairly clear-cut distinction between believers and non-believers, there is some ambiguity in these statistics. There is no exact criterion by which Buddhists or Confucianists can be identified. Many people outside of formal groups have been deeply influenced by these traditions. It is not uncommon for Koreans to pray at Buddhist temples or participate in Confucian ancestor rites.

Overview and Statistics cont’d As Roman Catholic cathedrals are considered cultural heritage in Europe, so Buddhist sites such as the Pulguksa Temple and the Haeinsa Temple are regarded by most South Koreans as important cultural properties rather than as places of worship. Confucianism remains important as a social ethic; its influence is evident in many areas of Korean life. Christianity is often identified with modernization and social reform.

Folk Beliefs As do all primitive religions, Korean indigenous religion includes a variety of folk beliefs regarding things unknown or supernatural, such as worship of house gods, village gods and natural gods. The worship of these gods differs from shamanism, even though shamanism has incorporated some of these gods.

Shamanism Korean shamans are similar in many ways to those found in Siberia, Mongolia, and Manchuria. They also resemble the yuta found on the Rkykyu Islands, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Cheju Island is also a center of shamanism. The largest association of shamans in South Korea claims more than 100,000 members.

Shamanism cont’d Shamans, most of whom are women, are enlisted by those who want the help of the spirit world. Female shamans (mudang) hold kut, or services, in order to gain good fortune for clients, cure illnesses by exorcising evil spirits, or propitiate local or village gods. Such services are also held to guide the spirit of a deceased person to heaven. The depiction of a mudang performing at a gut in the painting entitled Munyeo sinmu ( 무녀신무, 巫女神舞 ), painted by Shin Yun-bok in in the late Joseon Dynasty (1805).

Buddhism Buddhism entered Korea from China in 372 A.D. and became a state religion of Koguryo, one of the three ancient Korean kingdoms. Thereafter, Buddhism was the dominant religious and cultural influence during the Silla ( A.D.) and Koryo ( ) dynasties. Sculpted Buddha found in rock mountains, estimated to date back to Koguryo kingdom.

Buddhism cont’d Buddhism in South Korea is dominated by the Jogye Order, a syncretic sect traditionally linked to the Seon tradition. Most of the country’s old and famous temples, such as Bulguksa and Beomeosa, are operated by the Jogye Order, which is headquartered in Seoul. The Bulguksa temple

Confucianism Confucianism was brought to Korea from China in early centuries, but it occupied a subordinate position, compared with Buddhism, until the establishment of the Joseon Dynasty( A.D.), which replaced Buddhism with Confucianism as its state religion. The Joseon Dynasty is considered by many scholars as one of the most Confucian states in East Asian history, and the influence of Confucian ethical thought in Korean society remains quite extensive.

Christianity The profusion of church steeples in most South Korean cities has often attracted attention. Christianity, which initially got a foothold in Korea in the late 18th century, grew exponentially in the 1970s and 1980s, and despite slower growth in the 1990s, caught up to and then surpassed Buddhism in the number of adherents. The Christian faith in South Korea is dominated by four denominations: Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, and Baptists.

End of Lesson 1