Church culture in Korea
Churches are established in many places in Korea, and this scenery is also well known abroad. South Korea is one of the countries with many churches, and as of 2021, the number of churches in Korea is estimated to be more than 70,000.
The reason why there are many churches in Korea can be various factors. Since Korea is a historically Christian country, Christianity has traditionally had a great influence among its people. Also, Korea is still resonating with many people with Christian doctrines and ethics. As a result, many people attend Christian churches and often establish new churches.
In addition, churches play an important role in the community in Korea. Many churches in Korea maintain close relationships with the community and also do volunteer work to solve various social problems in the community. These activities increase the number of people who need churches and also promote the creation of new churches.
Finally, Korea also provides legal and policy support to support the activities of Christian organizations. The Korean government provides tax benefits and subsidies for church construction and church activities, and this support can be one of the factors that promote the establishment of the church.
For these reasons, Korea is one of the countries where many churches exist.
Some friends may have asked if there is a church to visit among these many churches, but I would like to introduce you to Yeouido Full Gospel Church, a famous church in Korea.
Yeouido Full Gospel Church is a church located at 15, National Assembly-daero 76-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea (11 Yeouido-dong).
Yeouido Full Gospel Church is the world’s largest Protestant church located in Yeouido, South Korea, and is a symbolic church that seems to compress the growth, development, and problems of Protestantism in Korea. Although it is the largest Protestant church in Korea, it is surprisingly becoming a church affiliated with the Pentecostal Church, not the Presbyterian Church, which has the most believers among Korean Protestants. It used to be the largest church in Korea in terms of building size, but now there are several churches in Korea with enormous buildings such as the Church of Love and Yonsei Central Church.
Historically, it was established in 1958 by Pastor Cho Yong-ki and Pastor Choi Ja-sil, starting with an old tent of a U.S. military unit near the cemetery in Daejo-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul (then Seodaemun-gu). The five were also started by Choi Ja-sil’s family and an old lady who was avoiding the rain.
A year later, in 1959, the tent church was expanded, and in 1961, the church was moved across from the current post office in Chungjeong-ro, Seodaemun-gu, and in 1962, the “Full Gospel Central Revival Center” building was completed and joined. As the number of church members increased rapidly, in 1968, it was decided to build a new church building in Yeouido, which was then a sandy plain.
Korea currently has one of the largest Christian populations in the world. Christianity has a great influence on the history and culture of Korea, and it has a great influence on the daily lives, thoughts, and values of Koreans have.
One characteristic of Korean Christian culture is the importance of the church. Many Koreans attend church, and it is considered a place where many people gather. Also, it is common to engage in various social activities through churches. This importance of the church plays a major role in strengthening the culture of solidarity and mutual help among members of Korean society.
Recently, however, along with the ideological tendencies of Christianity, there has also been controversy over the influence of church and religion on Korean society. In particular, in some cases, the negative effects of religious interference have also been reported.
Protestant universities in Korea (Church culture Korea)
Most Protestant schools listen to CH+ once a week. Many schools, including Yonsei University, Mokwon University, Baejae University, and Myongji University, adopt the 4th semester channel. However, Seoul Women’s University and Soongsil University must attend the chapel for six semesters, and Keimyung University and Anglican University must attend the chapel for two semesters.
In the case of Yonsei University, 0.5 credits per semester can be accepted and up to a third of the students can be absent, so they can pass if they take three or four classes. I heard that the contents of CH+ are mainly related to performances. There are a lot of students who are sleeping. There are no other religious lectures or subjects.
However, Ewha Womans University has to take Channel Plus for all eight semesters. We have a class once a week for 30 minutes. Training credits
It is true that one credit is given each, but the actual graduation requirement is to collect eight separate training credits, so it is not actually given. Absence is allowed only twice per semester. Channel Plus has a lot of religious colors in general. The most famous thing in Ewha Womans University’s Chapel is Dance Chapel, and regardless of its religious meaning, the quality of performances by dance students is quite high, so there are cases where supplementary chapels attend and watch performances.
Overall, Korean Christian culture(Church culture in Korea) is closely related to Korean society and has a great influence on the lives of Koreans. However, it is necessary to discuss the validity and limitations of this culture from various perspectives.
