Characteristics of Religious Life in South Korea: A Sociological Survey

Abstract

This paper examines the nature and social impact of religion in contemporary South Korea in order to bring into relief the main characteristics of the country's religious culture. The paper shows that South Korea is religiously diverse, with traditional religions such as Shamanism and Buddhism coexisting peacefully with Christianity. The paper also shows that the county has experienced a rapid growth of religions, especially Christianity, since the early 1960s and that the Christian success story is largely due to the religion's incorporation of beliefs and practices that promise the fulfillment of such material wishes as wealth and health. It is also shown that the influence of religion is actually expanding in South Korea today, as religious organizations continue to not only expand their involvement in social and welfare services but also extend their ownership and operation of commercial enterprises in such fields as the mass media, education, health care and publication. As regards the impact of religion on social class, politics, and attitudes toward social values, the paper shows that Buddhists have generally lower level of educational attainment, occupy lower economic class and hold more conservative political views and social values than Christians.