South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

, there are roughly 20.5 million

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

of whom 15 million are

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

s; of those some 9 to 10 million are Presbyterians. Presbyterians in South Korea worship in over 100 different Presbyterian denominational churches who trace their history back to the United Presbyterian Assembly.

History of Protestantism in Korea

In the past, Christianity in Asia was not very common. Of Asian countries, Korea had the most Christians. As Korean Protestantism began with the Western missionaries to Korea, the majority were American Presbyterian and Methodist. Protestantism was introduced to Korea in the late 19th century through missionaries. Lay people like

Seo Sang-ryun Seo Sang-ryun (, 1848–1926), along with his brother Seo Sang-u (), founded the first Protestant church in Korea in 1884. It was established in the village of Sorae, Hwanghae province, where his uncle lived. Seo Sang-ryun was involved in the t ...

and Baek Hong-Joon spread their knowledge of the Gospels after their conversion, and Christianity, of which the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

form had been suppressed in the middle of the 19th century, began to grow again in Korea. Protestant missionaries in Korea In 1884, Seo founded the first Protestant Christian community in Korea. The following year, the first American Protestant missionary and physician, Horace N. Allen of the Northern Presbyterians, arrived in Korea, and began medical work in 1885. Horace G. Underwood, a fellow Northern Presbyterian missionary, later joined this effort. His efforts were to "Christianize" the Koreans. Many people witnessed the extraordinary expansion of Protestant Christianity thanks to the early missionary method. Park (1992) states how the Nevius Plan and indirect missionary programs such as educational, medical, and social services. The indirect missionary method was effective because most Koreans in the beginning were apprehensive and hostile toward the Westerners to include missionaries. Through indirect programs, early missionaries slowly diminished the hostility and distrust of natives. The missionaries could communicate and sometimes convert Koreans. Clearly, the indirect missionary method worked well enough since small Protestant churches arose. The

Presbyterian Church of Victoria The Presbyterian Church of Victoria is one of the constituent churches of the Presbyterian Church of Australia. It was established in 1859 as a union of Church of Scotland, Free Presbyterian and United Presbyterian congregations. The Presbyte ...

began mission work in 1889, followed in 1892 by the Southern Presbyterians, and in 1898 by the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Together they formed the Council of Mission of Presbyterian Churches and in 1901 opened the

Pyongyang Theological Seminary The Pyongyang Theological Seminary (also known the Pyongyang Theological Academy, but commonly known simply as the Pyongyang Seminary) is a Protestant theological seminary in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. It is run by the government-con ...

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populat ...

. In 1907, the Independent Presbytery of Jesus Christ was formed, and seven Korean pastors were ordained. In 1921 the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Chosun was formed and sent seven missionaries to China. During and even somewhat before the Japanese occupation, churches from practically all Christian denominations faced many hardships and were actively persecuted by the Japanese administration. The imposition of

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...

rites of worship further exacerbated religious persecution during the occupation. While South Korea was under rule of Japan at the time, they decided to open up their “personal boundaries” to other countries, such as the United States, who were responsible for introducing Protestantism to Korea. During this era, South Korea was mostly practicing Buddhism.Many Presbyterians were among those who resisted and fought for Korean independence. Following the conclusion the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, the withdrawal of Japan, and the partitioning of Korea, Presbyterian churches in the communist-leaning northern parts of Korea were dissolved. In the Syngman Rhee-led parts of Korea south of the 38th Parallel they were reconstructed in 1946. The 33rd general assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Chosun was held in 1947. Two years later the name "Presbyterian Church in Korea" was adopted. The Christianity movement expanded rapidly after the Korean War. People needed hope after such destruction and annihilation, many turned towards religion to keep hope alive.

Korean Protestant Churches

To be considered Protestant, Baker (2016) defines “those who confessed belief in a specific Protestant creed, and they were expected to meet regularly for worship services in a Protestant church”. Protestants gave more credit to women for institutional roles in the church, much farther than Catholics have. Also assigning women titles such as exhorter and deaconess. In 1989 there were nearly 30,000 protestant churches. In the same time there were nearly one fourth of South Korea’s 40 million people were protestant Christian. No less than 25 percent of the population in South Korea is now Protestant Christian. Currently, Protestant churches are to be found in nearly all of the larger villages, also the towns and cities. Seoul is filled with so many church buildings and signs of the cross, that it has been called "a city of churches." In 2011, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism there were almost 78,000 Protestant churches in Korea. South Korea has the world’s largest church congregation at the Yoido Full Gospel Church. The following year saw significant growth for the Presbyterian church in Korea. Among the reasons contributing to the growth in size of Christian communities in Korea was the fact that unlike in other countries, Christianity was not associated with colonial or imperialist power. The Protestant Christian message came to Korea at a time when the religious and cultural heritage of the country had lost much of its strength and relevance for the common people. In addition to being unencumbered by imperialist or colonial connotations, the Christian communities themselves contributed to their own growth. Presbyterian churches adopted what was called the "Möbius method" in which each new convert was strongly encouraged to become an evangelist and convert others, and much like the Möbius strip this practice is intended to make Christianity in Korea boundless. Together with the post-World War II revival movement, these factors contributed greatly to the immense growth of Christianity in Korea in the decades since. Eventually, Korean Christians established their own churches not just in Korea but in other parts of the world; Korea is second only to the United States in the number of missionaries sent abroad. Several thousand Korean Presbyterian missionaries are active in many other countries. Growth, however, was not free of turmoil, but accompanied by schisms. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

but before the end of the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

the Presbyterian Church in Korea (고신, Go-shin) and the Presbyterian Church in Korea (재건, Jae-gun) were formed. A few years later the conservative and progressive parts of the Presbyterian Church separated. As a result, in the last major Presbyterian schism, the Presbyterian Church in Korea (통합, Tong-hap) and the Presbyterian Church in Korea (합동, Hap-dong) were formed in 1959. From these bodies several denominations separated. Today there are more than 100 Presbyterian churches/denominations in South Korea. In the 21st century, a new General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church of Korea (Founder. Ha Seung-moo) in 2012 declared itself an authentic historical succession of Scottish Presbyterian John Knox.

Korean Protestant Faith

The Korean Protestant belief in God or known as “Hananim”, meaning “God in heaven”. Their conception of the supreme God was presiding over the affairs of heaven and earth, and controlling the fate of humans. Contrary to Shamanism beliefs, which include but are not limited to seeking out a shaman for material wishes, longevity, health, male births and wealth -- Christians believe that God will supply their needs while remaining truthful, obedient and faithful to God. However, Korean Protestants were obligated to incorporate some aspects of shamanistic rituals. The belief of God also was the creator and sustainer of the universe, who has the power to liberate from suffering, healing, provide salvation or giving consolation. Similarly to Korean Shamanism, shamans were able to cast out evil spirits and cure diseases, just as how the teachings of Jesus Christ has done.

Confessional basis

Westminster Confession of Faith The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the "subordinate standard" ...

Westminster Larger Catechism The Westminster Larger Catechism, along with the Westminster Shorter Catechism, is a central catechism of Calvinists in the English tradition throughout the world. History In 1643 when the Long Parliament of England called the Westminster As ...

Westminster Shorter Catechism The Westminster Shorter Catechism is a catechism written in 1646 and 1647 by the Westminster Assembly, a synod of English and Scottish theologians and laymen intended to bring the Church of England into greater conformity with the Church of Sco ...

* Apostles Creed

Korean Presbyterian denominations

* Conservative Presbyterian Church in Korea * Conservative Reformed Presbyterian Church in Korea * Fundamentalist Presbyterian General Assembly in Korea * Independent Reformed Church in Korea * Independent Reformed Presbyterian Church in Korea * Korea Jesus Presbyterian Church * Korea Presbyterian Church * Korean Christian Fundamentalist Assembly * Korean Presbyterian Church (GaeHyuk I.) * Korean Presbyterian Church (HoHun) *

Myungsung Presbyterian Church Myung Sung Presbyterian Church is the largest Presbyterian church in the world. It is located in Myung-il-dong, Seoul, South Korea, with its Prayer Sanctuary in Wonju. Myung Sung Presbyterian Church has over thirty church plants, including Myung ...

Presbyterian Church in Korea (Daeshin) The church history dates back to 1948, the foundation of the DaeHan Seminary and with Rev. Kim Chi-sun, Pastor Kim Su-do, Rev. Yun Phil-sung started evening courses for the formation of the candidate of ministry. In 1960 the HapDong and TongHap s ...

* Presbyterian Church in Korea (DokNoHoe II) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (DokNoHoe) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (DongShin) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (GaeHyuk) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (GaeHyukHapDong I) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (GaeHyukHapDong II) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (GaeHyukHapDong III) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (HanGukBoSu) *

Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong) The Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong) is an Evangelical Presbyterian denomination, which is the biggest Christian church in South Korea. The headquarters of the church is in Seoul, South Korea. History In 1959 at the 44th General Assembly ...

Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDongYeChong) The Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDongYeChong) is a Reformed and Presbyterian denomination in South Korea. Under the leadership of Rev. Chun Byung-Hun, Rev. Choi Young-Su and Lee Sang-Yun the denomination was founded in 1988 at Seoul YeChin Chu ...

Presbyterian Church in Korea (KoRyuPa) The Presbyterian Church in Korea (KoRyuPa) is an orthodox Calvinist denomination in South Korea. The church is also known as the Korean Reformed Presbyterian Church. The denomination was a result of the split of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Ko ...

* Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (Logos) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (NamBuk) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (PyungAhn) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (SungHapChuk) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (SunGyo) *

Presbyterian Church in Korea (TongHap) The Presbyterian Church of Korea (TongHap) is a mainline Protestant denomination based in South Korea; it currently has the second largest membership of any Presbyterian denomination in the world. It is affiliated with its daughter denomination, ...

* Presbyterian Church in Korea (TongHapBoSu) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (YeJangHapBo) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (YeJong) * Presbyterian Church in Korea (YunShin) *

Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea The Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea or the KiJang Presbyterian Church is an ecumenically-minded Presbyterian denomination in South Korea. History The Presbyterian Church in Korea was established in 1902. In 1912 the first General As ...

* Pure Presbyterian Church in Korea *

SaRang Community Church SaRang Community Church is a Presbyterian Church in Seoul, Korea with over 60,000 members.Jonathan Stephenbr>East meets WEST; On how Koreans are backing Wales Evangelical School of Theology, May, 2011, Evangelical Now. SaRang, one of several me ...

Somang Presbyterian Church Somang Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) church located in Gangnam-gu in Seoul, South Korea. It is considered one of the largest churches in South Korea. The former South Korean President, Lee Myung-bak, also serves as t ...

* Union Presbyterian Church in Korea * United Presbyterian Church in Korea * Women Pastors Presbyterian Church in Korea * Young Nak Presbyterian Church All of these churches have the same confessional basis the

Apostle Creed The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith". The creed most likely originated in 5th-century ...

and the

Westminster Confession The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the " subordinate standard ...

. Korean Presbyterians have many outreach programs. Many are very conservative, some are liberal. There are close connections with the United States and

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

Presbyterian churches.

References