Korea has a diverse religious landscape, with all major religions prevalent there. With nearly 47 million people, the populace of the nation has encouraged the practice of various religions. With a percentage of 22, the Buddhist religion is widely represented. Protestants follow suit, making up 18% of the population. According to estimates, 10.9 percent of the populace is Catholic. Each style of religion practiced in the nation has shown evidence of peaceful coexistence, with mutual respect (전명수). The country does not have a specific religion. Korea has in the past been dominated by one religion which used to change from time to time. Initially, the population used to practice Buddhism before they changed to Confucianism and later changed to Christianity.
Religions which dominated in the past have been instrumental to the Korean government as they were influential in determining some vital matters for the country. The government was constituted by several kingdoms which were known as kingdoms of dynasties. The religion has been vocal in the spreading of social integrations. Individuals are able to live peacefully and socialize with one another through these teachings. Philosophies regarding the state have been enhanced through the religious activities. The government has been able to make its citizens aware of the philosophies through the religious events. Various preachers were able to educate their flock through the sermons that were held in the churches.
The religion helped to also spread morals socially. Individuals, both children and the elderly were taught good morals in the churches (Dépret, Isabelle). The elderly who were acquainted with the good morals were advised by the preachers to spread to the young ones through various forums. This helped in the growth of the society since the three major norms were catered for by the religion. The religion was respected in that no individual filed a lawsuit against a religion. This is evident by the records at the judiciary. The religions accommodated one another in the society and this made Korea a peaceful country.
There has been however some disparity in the religion with some legal cases taking place in the religions. The legal cases which have been registered majorly involve conflicts. The conflicts revolve around factions in the church fighting for the property. Initially, the courts did not involve themselves in the internal conflicts affecting a religion. They have however changed in the recent times by being considerate of what is going on by the religions. The courts in the past did not intervene in these issues.
The judicial system has been active in disputes involving property between interreligious societies (Eggert, Marion). Each religious society has a tendency of protecting their own faith hence the courts have to come in to ensure balance. The other matters involving inter- religious society have not been accorded the seriousness it deserves because the judicial system believes they can solve them on their own. The matters have been always regarded as passive.
The religions in Korean have over the years proceeded to coexist peacefully among themselves. The country has been vibrant in that it has separated religion from politics in the past years. The religious leaders have been able to thrive on their own away from politics. Politicians, on the other hand, have always maintained politics while addressing the public but while in the church they stick to religious activities. Some public officials have however gone above this fact since they believe they are superior to other individuals. This has been enhanced by some behavior that is religiously biased. Some religions believe that their faith is outright while the other is worthless.
Social problems have occurred as a result of conflicts that have taken place between the religions. Individuals have been unable to coexist well in the society due to their differing ideologies (Kim, Chae Young). Some individuals have even had the chance to relocate to other parts of the country due to the differences they have experienced. Some religions have created some cultures that are unique in Korea as a result of the history that has changed over the years. Social morals have also changed greatly due to the religions. As a result of these changes, various laws have been affected that are instrumental in the streamlining of the country’s dynasties and kingdoms.
The religion in the past years was intermingled with the religion. This was to enhance the cohesiveness of each sector in the country. The Korean country has in the recent times been supported by the religion. The religious leaders have constantly held prayers and teachings to help the country. The Government of Korea has, in turn, supported the religion despite the fact that it should keep politics distinct from religion. The religion and The Korean Government undertakings have been isolated formally but in the real sense, they work together.
The Korean history suggests that the Korean country was formally formed in 2333 BC but the ancient country lasted for a period of 2000 years. The ancient Korean country was separated during the first century to three kingdoms. The kingdoms were namely Shilla which occurred between (BC 57-AD 935), Ko-Ku-Ryeo between (BC 37-AD 6680) and finally Baek-Je between (BC 18-AD 660). The country was initially dominated by shamanism before the Buddhism was introduced. Buddhism was introduced when the kingdoms had recovered from martyrdom. Ancient Korean had been ruled by priests during the shamanism period.
The country was served by the priests at the same time with the ancient kings. The country eventually adopted laws from China and was governed by laws. There is a belief that ancient Korean and the religion of shamanism were not separated. Since the country adopted Buddhism, the states in Korea were administered by the Buddhism teachings. The religion was adopted in the whole country. The Buddhist monks who held the highest positions were in charge of teaching the kings important aspects regarding the religion.
The state supported the religion hence the enactment of various temples. The monks who were educated had the responsibility of setting guidelines that could determine the behavior of individuals in the country. These guidelines were vital as they helped unite individuals into a whole community that was strong. The guidelines would eventually become customary laws among the kingdoms which had been established. The monk representing the Shilla dynasty formed the most vital guidelines.
The guidelines stated that the king was to be obeyed and respected by the individuals and the individuals were to be loyal to him. Individuals who participated in the war were not required to retreat at any cost. The guidelines promoted friendship in that individuals were to be sincere and truthful to one another. Individuals were also required to devotedly serve and follow their parents. Spiritualism was highly recommended while serving their parents. The guidelines lastly stated that living beings were to be selectively killed by the individuals. They were referred to as the five commandments which individuals living in the secular world were to adhere to them.
The guidelines are still relevant in the present Korean country. The Buddhism religion unified the kingdoms into the Shilla dynasty which was more unified than the rest of the other kingdoms. The Buddhist culture fully dominated the Korean society during this period (Berge, Gweneth). The Shilla dynasty represented a hierarchical society that was strong. The official who was intelligent could not even raise the lowest levels among the royal families (Kim, Jeong-In). Local leaders who were powerful countered this effect by fighting against royal families’ incompetence.
The Ko-Ryeo dynasty later replaced the Shilla dynasty. The dynasty had been formed by an individual among the local leaders. Buddhism was also dominant in this dynasty. The Buddhist monks who held the highest positions also held the mandate of teaching the kings. However, corruption marred the dynasty and the Mongolian Empire later conjured it. The Mongolian Empire had been formed in China. Buddhism alone was not able to promote unity amongst the people in the country. Public administration and politics were not favored by the teachings that were being conducted by Buddhism. This applied to the period of the Mongolian Empire.
New scholars who were intelligent were, in the end, able to criticize the royal family. The scholars were well educated in the Confucianism. Buddhism, which was the state religion was not spared either. Together with other public officials who were bureaucratic, they were criticized by the intelligent scholars. The scholars were able to mount a strong revolution that was instrumental in the collapse of the Ko-Ryeo dynasty. A new dynasty that reflected the Confucian demands was later established. It was called the Jo-Seon dynasty.
The Confucian had existed initially in the country at the same time when the Buddhism religion was established. The Buddhism was influential in the individuals’ lives as it had existed before in the other kingdoms. The Confucian was unable to function well as the individuals were highly influenced by the Buddhism religion. Corruption had highly spread in the Ko-Ryeo dynasty which led to its collapse. Large areas of land in the country were owned by the Buddhist temples. The Buddhist monks had the power to nominate new kings in the Ko-Ryeo dynasty. This was unfair to the people as the monks made life generally hard for them.
The individuals’ lives were miserable and the teachings that they conducted in the temples were not enough to get them out of their misery (Hong, Kyung). The kingdom had become too much corrupt for them to handle and the individuals were angered by this adventure. The new scholars who were critics of the Buddhism religion later became public officials. They represented the individuals’ needs in the dynasty of Ko-Ryeo. The intelligent officials later created a coup de tat in the Ko-Ryeo dynasty. This was done against the individuals who were corrupt and had weak minds in the kingdom. They established their own dynasty known as the Jo- Seon dynasty. The dynasty lasted between 1392 and 1910.
The Jo-Seon dynasty had their own religion known as Confucianism. The religion was very vocal against the Buddhist religion until the Buddhists relocated to the mountains from the cities where they set up their temples. They went further ahead and regulated the size of land that the Buddhist could possess. The monks who were staying in the Monasteries were also reduced. This was a great achievement for the dynasty of Jo-Seon in dealing with corruption.
The Confucianism relied on harmonizing the world. It highly accorded an individual being virtuous. Principles relating to the Confucianism were formed so that individuals could have knowledge of the ideas relating to it. The principles which contained the most vital fundamental consisted of the fact that the king would serve as an example to his people. Men could be used as examples to their wives and lastly, fathers would act as role models for their daughters and sons. The disciplines guiding the morals stated that loyalty and trustworthy shall be enhanced between subjects and their kings (Kim, Sungja). They also promoted love between a wife and her husband as they were encouraged to be faithful to each other. Daughters and soils were encouraged to confide in each other. Reliability was also promoted among friends as they were needed to be reliable to one another. Lastly, respect was to be accorded to the elderly by the young people. Individuals’ age had to be respected.
The Confucianism teachings also acted as a guide in the political arena. It also guided the lives of the individuals (Hong, Kyung). The Confucianism became rampant and as a result, statues that belonged to the states were enacted. The enactment followed the Confucianism teachings. The statutes represented the ethics and morals that had been established from Confucianism. The Jo-Seon dynasty made the Korean society to be once stable. Peace prevailed the society over a long time. Later, corruption also marred the state. The Confucian bureaucrats had fractions within themselves leading to the misery of the people.
Some scholars who were exposed to the Christian teachings in China came up with new ideas and thoughts. The scholars were determined in helping individuals who had undergone the misery to heal faster. Their main aim was to reconstruct the dynasty which had stopped functioning. The new scholars were vocal in criticizing the administration of the fallen dynasty. The Confucian Jo-Seon dynasty retaliated with a response that was brutal. Before Christianity was legally practiced in the dynasty, many individuals that had initially practiced the Christian religion were killed in the kingdom.
Christianity eventually took over in the dynasty enabling it to develop into a multicultural state. The individuals’ lives were later improved in the state. The Christian religion was introduced in the country by the scholars who had traveled to China. The scholars came back to the country with the bible which they later translated it from the Chinese language to the Korean language. The scholars had gone to China for a diplomatic mission. The scholars who were not fully advanced in their education level studied the bible. This way to enable them to gain a milestone in their power struggles to become public officials’ with high ranking posts.
The Christian religion was further spread in Korea by the French missionaries. The missionaries had initially attended missions in China but secretly sneaked into Korea to spread the religion. The missionaries belonged to the Society of Jesus (kimsuah). The Christian religion established a revolution in the Confucian dynasty. Young scholars who belonged to the middle society together with individuals from the lowest classes embraced the religion faster. These individuals had been unable to progress and become public officials.
The Confucian dynasty eventually made up their minds to halt Christianity. Many individuals were murdered as martyrs. Many missionaries who were from France and about 8000 Christians were murdered in the process. The religion nonetheless had already spread in the country. It was officially and legally accepted in the year 1886. A treaty that encouraged diplomacy was signed between the dynasty of Jo-Seon and France. The French had vehemently insisted that Christianity be included in the treaty before it was signed. This was to enable the Christians to practice their religion without the fear of being killed. The natural law which had been originally a western concept was later established in Korea alongside Christianity (Silcott, William, and Jens Kreinath. Christianity was instrumental in the year 1910 when Japanese had wrongfully occupied the country during the colonial period.
The Christian religion vehemently resisted being oppressed by the imperialists. A constitution was thereby promulgated in the year 1919 by the government which had been formed provisionally during the colonial period. The constitution believed that the country of Korea had been protected and formed by the Heavenly God. The Korean country adopted a defiant spirit which was established on the basis of natural law. The spirit was strengthened further after Korean liberated itself from the rule of Japan and formed the Government of Korea.
Thirty three leaders who nationally participated in the First Independence that was found in March were religious (kimsuah). Most of them were Christians and Buddhists to be precise. The religious leaders were in charge of organizing resistance against the Japanese who promoted imperialism in the colonial period. Christianity was highly embraced in the country in that a Christian priest was asked to pray in the first national assembly. The national assembly’s chairman who was a Christian acknowledged the priest. It was a time when it was opened for the Korea’s legislation to be conducted. The Korea had become independent in the year 1948.
Individuals from Korean had toppled the dictators that had become rampant in their country. This was achieved with the strong resistance that the Korean leveled against the militants. The Christian religion enabled the Korean country which was initially secular to develop into a prosperous and democratic country. The country however still relies on the principle of isolating religion and politics. Christianity has been widely been supported by officials who hold high ranking offices and the Christian presidents.
Conflicts in the country involving religions are nowadays less evident in the administrations headed by Christians (Weng, Jerry Chia-Je). This has enabled Christianity to gain advantage as other religions are viewed as being biased and thus they are often neglected. The constitution of Korea has firmly endorsed that the religion be separated from the politics. All Korean citizens are stipulated to enjoy and access their freedom to religion as prescribed in the article 20 of the constitution. The article further states that no religion belonging to the state shall be acknowledged. It states that the state and religion shall be isolated.
The Korean citizens are considered as equal before the Korean laws (전명수). This is stipulated in the section one of the article eleven. The article is vibrant as it insists that there should be no discrimination basing on economic, political, religion or cultural life of an individual. Individuals may experience difference in the account of sex based on their cultures but they should not be discriminated upon. Further, individuals possessing different political expressions should not be discriminated on. Individuals are encouraged to live in harmony and avoid their social status from separating them.
Education has also been recognized in the Korean constitution under section 2 of the article 6. The Basic Act states that religious education should not be taught in schools which were formed by the local government. However, the religious education that is general has been allowed in the schools which are public. Religious education that points to a specific agenda has however been prohibited in the schools. The religious education which is specific can be taught however in schools that are private.
The state officials have been considered in the constitution too. The regulations which consider their services have been considered in the section two of the article four. The article states that the officials are to conduct their job without discrimination. The services have to be done impartially without owing to any religion (Sarkar, Hiren). The regulation was conducted after Buddhists demonstrated in the year 2008 against the government. A president bearing the Christian faith was inaugurated in the year 2008. During his tenure, public officials with the Christian faiths were commissioned to hold high ranking positions in the country.
The public administrations whose maps had been published were distributed to the citizens and the public authorities. These maps were however biased such that the location of the churches was provided while that of the temples belonging to the Buddhists was not provided. The Buddhists later demonstrated against these maps for corrections (CHOI, Jae-Sun). The section detailing service and regulation was later promulgated in order to appease the Buddhists who had been violated. The Christian generally have not been fair to the Buddhists in their undertakings. Buddha’s birthday and Christmas day have all been taken as public holidays nonetheless.
Works Cited
Berge, Gweneth. "Recognizing The Role Of Religion In Development Cooperation: Experiences And Examples From Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)." The Ecumenical Review, vol 68, no. 4, 2016, pp. 423-432. Wiley-Blackwell, doi:10.1111/erev.12247.
CHOI, Jae-Sun. "Characteristics Of The Recognition Of Christianity In KIM Nam-Cheon’S Novels.." Literature And Religion, vol 18, no. 3, 2013, pp. 193-213. The Korean Society For Literature And Religion, doi:10.14376/lar.2013.18.3.193.
Dépret, Isabelle. "Orthodox Christianity In 21St Century Greece: The Role Of Religion In Culture, Ethnicity And Politics." Religion, State And Society, vol 40, no. 3-4, 2012, pp. 419-422. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/09637494.2012.734466.
Eggert, Marion. "‘Western Learning’, Religious Plurality, And The Epistemic Place Of 'Religion' In Early-Modern Korea (18Th To Early 20Th Centuries)." Religion, vol 42, no. 2, 2012, pp. 299-318. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/0048721x.2012.642577.
Hong, Kyung. "A Korean Exorcism." The International Journal Of Religion And Spirituality In Society, vol 5, no. 3, 2015, pp. 19-31. Common Ground Research Networks, doi:10.18848/2154-8633/cgp/v05i03/51111.
Kim, Chae Young. "Religious Studies As A Modern Academic Discipline In Korea." Religion, vol 47, no. 2, 2016, pp. 277-292. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/0048721x.2016.1210400.
Kim, Jeong-In. "Kim, Han-Jong, Korean Contemporary History Reading Through History Education." The Korean History Education Review, vol 134, 2015, p. 219. The Korean History Education Society, doi:10.18622/kher.2015.06.134.219.
kimsuah. "The Origin And Development Of The Korean Ch’Ŏnsu Kyŏng In The History Of Korean Buddhism." Studies In Religion(The Journal Of The Korean Association For The History Of Religions), vol 75, no. 3, 2015, pp. 115-152. Korean Association For Religious Studies, doi:10.21457/kars.75.3.201509.115.
Kim, Sungja. "Analysis Of The Ways To Use Primary Sources In “Korean History” Textbooks." The Korean History Education Review, vol 136, 2015, p. 1. The Korean History Education Society, doi:10.18622/kher.2015.12.136.1.
Park, Yangshin. "The Activities Of Hirotami Kawai In Colonial Korea And His Research On Korean History." The Korean History Education Review, vol 139, 2016, p. 175. The Korean History Education Society, doi:10.18622/kher.2016.09.139.175
전명수. "Political Development And The Public Role Of Religion: A Critical Approach To Political Participation Of Religion - Based Civic Organization." The Journal Of Korean Studies, null, no. 56, 2016, pp. 191-218. Korean Studies Institute, doi:10.17790/kors.2016..56.191
전명수. "The Role Of Religion For The Good Society And The Significance Of Religion-Based Civil Organization: A Reconsideration Of Robert Bellah." Studies In Religion(The Journal Of The Korean Association For The History Of Religions), vol 75, no. 4, 2015, pp. 145-174. Korean Association For Religious Studies, doi:10.21457/kars.75.4.201512.145.
Sarkar, Hiren. "Can Religion Be Given A Role In Promoting Economic Development?." Journal Of Indian Philosophy And Religion, vol 19, 2014, pp. 62-85. Philosophy Documentation Center, doi:10.5840/jipr2014195.
Silcott, William, and Jens Kreinath. "Transformations Of A ‘Religious’ Nation In A Global World: Politics, Protestantism And Ethnic Identity In South Korea." Culture And Religion, vol 14, no. 2, 2013, pp. 223-240. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/14755610.2012.758645.
Weng, Jerry Chia-Je. "Yeats’S “Supernatural Songs”: The Anthropology Of Religion." The Yeats Journal Of Korea, vol 42, 2013, pp. 47-56. The Yeats Society Of Korea, doi:10.14354/yjk.2013.42.47.
