In Korea today, there are four major spiritual influences or religions that are followed by a majority of the people living here. Shamanism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Christianity, while all having come to the Korean peninsula at different times, exert the biggest influence on the way people live there lives here. Buddhism and Christianity are the largest practiced religions, with 50% of the population claiming to practice one of the faiths. There are also small communities practicing Islam and a tiny community which practices Judaism.
Shamanism
Shamanism developed in central Asia and it’s not really known when it made its first appearance in Korea. Shamanism is not a true religion per se; rather it’s a system of beliefs that allow people to have contact with the spiritual world. In Korean shamanism, the reason for the contact is often to alleviate some human problems. Often, a shaman, called mu-dang in Korean (무당 “moo-dang”), will contact spirits on the behalf of the living for various reasons: to cure illnesses which are caused by evil spirits, to pray for a good harvest, to relieve financial woes, etc. They may also hold services to help lead deceased relatives into the spirit world, as negative feelings from the deceased can plague the living. During a ceremony, or gut (굿 “goot”), the mu-dang, often female, will contact the spirits through dance or song and a lavish offering of food or drink. The mu-dang will then go into a trance, during which her spirit leaves her body and interacts with the spirits. Korean shamanism, with the recent industrialization and economic boom of Korea, has lost some of its popularity. People’s lives revolve less around ensuring a good harvest as they are more concerned with making and securing their place in the ever developing global market. However, Korean shamanism does still hold a place in the hearts and minds of Koreans as a cultural relic that should be preserved and passed on to successive generations (and, those trying to overcome the financial woes of securing their place in the global market will try anything to do so).
Buddhism
Buddhism came to Korea during the Koguryo Dynasty late in the 4th century AD. While initially co-existing with shamanism, Buddhism began to flower and find its place among the Korean population. The Buddhist influence can be seen in the numerous temples scattered throughout the peninsula, many of which contain important works of art. During the Jeoson Dynasty, and subsequent Japanese occupation lasting until 1945, Buddhism was persecuted and allowed only to exist in temples located in the remote mountains and forests. Following Korea’s independence from Japan, the country set forth on industrializing and expanding their economic wealth, which worked to reduce Buddhism’s influence even further. It wasn’t until recently, having established itself as a developed nation, Koreans have begun to follow Buddhist teachings once again. The growing interest in spiritual growth and the environment have brought people back to temples, and with them comes the newly earned money put into restoring and reconstructing ancient temples that may have fallen into disrepair.
Confucianism
Confucianism isn’t really a religion, more a system of ethics which guide and shape people’s daily lives and interactions. It developed in China and made its way to the Korean peninsula, becoming the state philosophy and shaping Korean cultural practices for over 500 years. Korean Confucianism is considered Neo-Confucianism, as it takes the original tenets of Confucian thought and blends it with ancestral worship (perhaps a result of shamanism’s praying to the deceased and Confucianism’s revering of ancestral ‘elders’). Even today, Confucianism’s influence is easily recognized, still shaping the way Koreans look at the world and society (SEE CULTURE SECTION).
Christianity
Christianity was brought to Korea sometime in the 18th century. Catholicism especially spread rapidly through Korea during its initial introduction, and was perceived as a threat by the Confucian government. The ideal of human equality goes against the precepts of the Confucian belief system, and as such Catholicism was suppressed. Protestant missionaries brought Christianity to Korea again late in the 19th century and this time it was more favorably received. Today, Christians make up a large percentage of the Korean population; 18% profess to be protestants and 10% call themselves Roman Catholics.
WHERE TO PRACTICE YOUR RELIGION WHILE IN KOREA?
For the two biggest religions, Christianity and Buddhism, finding places to worship are relatively easy.
Buddhism
A great resource for Buddhists who wish to practice while in Korea is the website for Korean Buddhism. This site gives a more complete history of Buddhism in Korea, as well as various places to worship and temples that are found in Korea.
http://www.koreanbuddhism.net
Christianity
There are a huge number of churches scattered throughout the major cities of Korea. They can range from grandiose cathedrals to small congregations in what look like office buildings, save for the ever-glowing red-neon cross. Most of the big churches will hold a service in English for foreign workers. For a great insight into where to find English services, please refer to the following websites
- Extracted from the Seoul Times
- Extracted from the Korea Times
Other Religions
As mentioned previously, there are small communities that practice the Islamic and Judaic religions. Islam has spread further throughout the Korean peninsula, with mosques located in several big cities. Judaic services are only held in Seoul around the United States military base in Yongsan.
Both of the religions have websites for practitioners in Korea. These sites will both give online resources such as religious texts and prayers, as well as where to find congregations throughout the Korean peninsula.
For Islamic resources in Korea
For Judaic resources in Korea
