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Throughout the ages, there have been various popular religious traditions practiced on theKorean peninsula. The oldestindigenous religion ofKorea is the Korean folk religion,Korean shamanism, which has been passed down from prehistory to the present.[1]Buddhism was introduced to Korea from China during theThree Kingdoms era in the fourth century, and the religion became an important part of the culture until theJoseon Dynasty whenConfucianism was established as the state philosophy.[2] During the Late Joseon Dynasty, in the 19th century,Christianity began to take root in Korea.[3] While both Christianity and Buddhism would play important roles in the resistance to theJapanese occupation of Korea in the first half of the 20th century,[4] only about 4% of Koreans were members of a religious organization in 1940.[5]
Since thedivision of Korea into two sovereign states in 1945—North Korea and South Korea—religious life in the two countries has diverged, shaped by different political structures.Religion in South Korea has been characterized by a rise of Christianity and a revival of Buddhism, though the majority of South Koreans haveno religious affiliation or follow folk religions.[6][7]Religion in North Korea is characterized bystate atheism in whichfreedom of religion is nonexistent.Juche ideology, which promotes theNorth Korean cult of personality, is regarded by experts[who?] as a kind of national religion.[8]
| religion | 1950–1962[9] | 1985 | 1995[10] | 2005[11] | 2015[12] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| num. | % | num. | % | num. | % | num. | % | num. | % | |
| Christianity(overall) | - | 5-8% | - | 20.7% | 11,390,000 | 26.0% | 13,461,000 | 29.2% | 13,566,000 | 27.6% |
| (Protestantism) | - | 2.8% | - | 16.1% | 8,505,000 | 19.4% | 8,446,000 | 18.3% | 9,676,000 | 19.7% |
| (Catholic church) | - | 2.2% | - | 4.6% | 2,885,000 | 6.6% | 5,015,000 | 10.9% | 3,890,000 | 7.9% |
| Buddhism | - | 2.6% | - | 19.9% | 10,154,000 | 23.2% | 10,588,000 | 22.8% | 7,619,000 | 15.5% |
| other | - | 92.4% | - | 2.1% | - | 1.2% | - | 1% | - | - |
| non-religious | - | - | - | 57.3% | - | 49.6% | - | 47.2% | - | 56.9% |
| Administrative area | Korean Buddhism | Protestantism | Catholicism | no religion or other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul | 10.8% | 24.2% | 10.7% | 53.6% |
| Busan | 28.5% | 12.1% | 5.4% | 53.1% |
| Daegu | 23.8% | 12.0% | 7.7% | 55.8% |
| Incheon | 8.8% | 23.1% | 9.5% | 57.9% |
| Gwangju | 9.5% | 20.0% | 8.6% | 61.1% |
| Daejeon | 14.0% | 21.8% | 7.4% | 56.2% |
| Ulsan | 29.8% | 10.9% | 4.2% | 54.5% |
| Gyeonggi Province | 10.7% | 23.0% | 9.0% | 56.7% |
| Gangwon Province | 16.4% | 17.5% | 6.7% | 58.7% |
| North Chungcheong Province | 16.4% | 15.8% | 7.4% | 60.0% |
| South Chungcheong Province | 13.8% | 20.7% | 6.2% | 58.7% |
| North Jeolla Province | 8.6% | 26.9% | 7.6% | 55.0% |
| South Jeolla Province | 10.9% | 23.2% | 5.6% | 59.3% |
| North Gyeongsang Province | 25.3% | 13.3% | 5.2% | 55.4% |
| South Gyeongsang Province | 29.4% | 10.5% | 4.2% | 55.1% |
| Jeju Special Self-Governing Province | 23.4% | 10.0% | 7.9% | 58.0% |
| Korea National | 15.5% | 19.7% | 7.9% | 56.1% |
| Buddhist sect | number of temples (%) |
| Jogye Order (조계종) | 735 / 907(81%) |
| Taego Order (태고종) | 102 / 907(11%) |
| Beophwa Order (법화종) | 22 / 907(2%) |
| Zen Academy (선학원) | 16 / 907(2%) |
| Wonhyo Order (원효종) | 5 / 907(0.6%) |
| other | 27 / 907(3%) |
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During theThree Kingdoms of Korea, foreign religions were introduced and built on the foundation of traditional Korean beliefs. Each of the three Kingdoms adopted Buddhism and Confucianism, which coexisted alongside native Korean traditional religions.
Buddhism was introduced to Korea first through Goguryeo. In 372, the monkSundo (Chinese:順道;pinyin:Shùndào) was sent byFu Jian (337–385) (Chinese:苻堅) of the Chinese state ofFormer Qin to the court of the KingSosurim of Goguryeo. He brought texts and statues (possibly ofMaitreya, who was popular inBuddhism in Central Asia), and the Goguryeo royalty and their subjects quickly accepted his teachings.[14]: 5, 6 Additionally, it was through Goguryeo thatConfucianism, a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, was introduced into Korea. During the reign of Sosurim, Korea established its first National Confucian Academy.[15]
According to theSamguk sagi andSamguk yusa, the two oldest extant histories of Korea, Buddhism was officially introduced to Baekje in 384, when the IndianBuddhist monkMarananta came to Baekje from EasternJin. KingChimnyu welcomed him, and Baekje officially adopted Buddhism.[16][17][18][19] Both Buddhism and Confucianism flourished in Baekje, and in turn Baekje played a major role in spreading Buddhism from Korea to Japan. After striking an agreement on cultural exchanges, Japan received Confucian scholars from Baekje in the years 513 and 516.[20][21] Later King Seong sent Buddhist sutras and a statue of Buddha to Japan, an event described by historian Robert Buswell as "one of the two most critical influences in the entire history of Japan, rivaled only by the nineteenth-century encounter with Western culture".[14]: 2–4 The year this occurred, dated by historians to either 538 or 552, marks the official introduction of Buddhism into Japan, and within a year of this date, Baekje provided Japan with nine Buddhist priests to aid in propagating the faith.[22]Baekje continued to supply Japan with Buddhist monks for the remainder of its existence. In 587 the monkP'ungguk arrived from Baekje to serve as a tutor toEmperor Yōmei's younger brother and later settled down as the first abbot of Japan'sShitennō-ji Temple.[20] In 595 the monkHyeja arrived in Japan from Goguryeo.[23] He became a mentor to Prince Shōtoku and lived inAsuka Temple.[23] By the reign of the JapaneseEmpress Suiko (592–628), there were over one thousand monks and nuns living in Japan, a substantial percentage of whom were Korean.[20]
Early Buddhism in Silla developed under the influence of Goguryeo. Some monks from Goguryeo came to Silla and preached among the people, making a few converts. In 551,Hyeryang (惠亮), a Goguryeo monk presided over the "Hundred-Seat Dharma Assembly" and the "Dharma of Eight Prohibitions".Silla formally adoptedBuddhism in 527 AD afterBeopheung of Silla executedIchadon, a Buddhist convert who had tried to persuade the king to adopt Buddhism.[24] Before he was executed, Ichadon predicted that milk colored blood would spill from his body after his death.[25] This supposed miracle allegedly occurred according to theSamguk sagi and convinced Silla's royal court to adopt Buddhism as its state religion.
In the heyday of the Goryeo Dynasty, Buddhism was the state religion of Korea. A significant religious historical event of the Goryeo period is the production of the first woodblock edition of theTripiṭaka called theTripitaka Koreana. Two editions were made, the first one completed from 1210 to 1231, and the second one from 1214 to 1259. The first edition was destroyed in a fire, during an attack by theMongols in 1232, but the second edition is still in existence atHaeinsa inGyeongsang Province. This edition of theTripitaka was of high quality, and served as the standard version of theTripitaka in East Asia for almost 700 years.
Successive kings of the Goryeo dynasty exercised their supervisory powers or suppressed them not only over Buddhism and Confucianism but also over shamanism (巫俗). After entering the Joseon Dynasty (朝鮮), the government was divided into Domu (都巫) and Jongmu (從巫). In addition, in the east and west of the province, Hwarin-seo (活人署) were placed to accommodate the sick and the poor (貧者), and Mugyeok (巫覡) had them healed or took care of the poor. This has been the case since the Goguryeo period for the state to have Mugyeok work in state institutions.
The Joseon dynasty ran an observatory-forecasting service calledGwangsanggam (관상감;觀象監), in which two members professionalized inmyeonggwahak (명과학;命課學) were to take charge of fortune-telling.
The Joseon Dynasty initially adopted Buddhism as a religion and Confucianism as a political ideology but gradually moved to a policy ofsungyueokbul (숭유억불), where Buddhism was suppressed in state affairs and replaced by Confucian principles. In the first half of the Joseon dynasty, Buddhist monkHyujeong (휴정;休靜) argued that the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism were in agreement with each other on fundamental levels, similar to theThree teachings. Also, there were Confucian scholars like MaewŏltangKim Sisŭp who attempted to explain Buddhist concepts through Confucian principles.
Taoism, which has been handed down since the Goguryeo period, had Daecheong-gwan in Kaesong, and after the relocation of Hanseong, Sogyeok-jeon was established and Doryu was placed as a season, taking charge of Samcheong and Seong-jin. In addition, the worship of the Crown Prince (關王) was transmitted to the people. As fortune-telling, secret divination, and Gam-rok spread to the civilian population, ideas such as hermitage, the last days, the rebellious revolution, and fate permeated the people deeply.
As the Joseon dynasty entered into the modern era whilst keeping the state in relative isolation, it soon faced the problem of the transmission of religions from the West.Catholicism (천주교) or sometimes calledseogyo (서교;西敎) was introduced in the late 18th century as a part of Western thoughts and studies (서학;西學;seo-hak).
Catholicism was secretly spread by missionaries infiltrating the country despite the prohibition, and it led to multiple persecutions by the court during the 19th century. This persecution was not only caused by the religious policy of the court, but also by actions that went against the Confucian ideology and policies of Joseon. For example, the Hwang Sa-Yeong White Book incident, which was caused by Catholics to seek freedom of religious belief, led to the worsening ofSinyu Persecution (신유박해) in 1801.[26]
Due to internal and external circumstances, the court took a liberal attitude toward Western religions, in 1896. This made it easy for several denominations ofProtestantism to enter.Donghak was born as a national religion amidst the adversity of Western religions. Within two years of Donghak's occurrence, it developed to the point of establishing a system of affiliations and missionaries (접주) in various places and strengthening the organization of the denomination. Eventually, it becameCheondogyo, and by Lee Don-Hwa (이돈화;李敦化), it was ideologically developed even to the philosophy of a new man.
During the Japanese colonial period, the Governor-General's Office of Korea applied the Monastery Ordinance (사찰령) and the Honmuk Monastery Act (본말사법) to Buddhism. The Joseon Governor-General's Decree was applied to Yurim, the Foundation Act was applied to Christianity according to the Governor-General's policies, and religious organizations inherent in the Korean people were appointed as similar religious organizations in addition to religion. The Governor-General's Office recognizesShintoism,Buddhism andChristianity as religions. Chengkyunkwan of Confucianism is regarded as a school of economics, and social education law is applied, and it is regarded as a social education institution. The Confucian temple becomes a club officer currency, and the school (향교) is regarded as a local public body or local educational institution.
At the time of liberation in 1945, there were about 1.5 million religious people in North Korea, 375,000Buddhists, 200,000Protestants, and 57,000Catholics. There were more than 2 million religious people (22.2 percent of the population at that time).[27] However, due to the regime's policy of stifling religion, North Korea's religious population has been greatly reduced. In a report submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2001, the North Korean regime recorded a total of 37,800 religious people, including 15,000 Chondoists, 10,000 Buddhists, 12,000 Protestants, and 800 Catholics.[28] The number of facilities for each religion is 800, 60 temples, two churches, and one church.[29] North Korean defectors agree that religious activities are impossible in North Korea due to the crackdown on religious activities.[28] Religious people are subjected to human rights repression in political prison camps inthe Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Shamanism or Folk Religion (Korean: 무속신앙, 무속, or 민간신앙;Hanja: 巫敎, 巫俗, or 民間信仰;RR: musoksinang, music, or mingansinang) is the oldest religious tradition in Korea, dating back as far asOld Joseon.[30][31] Given its ancient origins, while Shamanism is still practiced, it is considered rather heretical and superstitious today. Shamans are typically women who are calledmudang (Korean: 무당;Hanja: 巫―).
There are many myths and legends surrounding Korean Shamanism, but today, Koreans mostly go to shamans to get advice, interpret the importance of dates and omens, determine compatibility in a couple, or get aFulu (Korean: 부적;Hanja: 符籍), ortalisman, to ward awayevil spirits.[32]
That said, Shamans may performgut (a ritualistic dance and song as a prayer to gods or ancestors, or a purification ritual.[32]
Buddhism was introduced from China during theThree Kingdoms period of Korea and had an important influence on the culture of theSilla andGoryeo dynasties and became the main religion of these two dynasties. Buddhism has far-reaching influence in the Yeongnam region of Korea,Gangwon Province, andJeju Island. TheJogye Sect is the main sect of Korean Buddhism, and most Korean Buddhist temples belong to the Jogye Sect, including the famous Buddhist temples ofBulguksa, Haeinsa, and Hwaeomsa. Other traditional Buddhist schools in Korea include the Taego Sect and the Cheontae Sect.[citation needed]
Won Buddhism (원불교) is a modern sect of Korean Buddhism. Won Buddhism simplifies Buddhist scriptures and ceremonies. They insist that anyone, regardless of the wise or the ignorant, rich or poor, noble or low, can understand Buddhism.[33]
Christianity in South Korea is mainly composed ofProtestantism andCatholicism; in the 2015 census, there were 9.7 million Protestants and 3.9 million Catholics. In addition toWestern churches, South Korea also has members of theEastern Orthodox Church and members of TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who were imported from Russia in the 19th century. Roman Catholic missionaries arrived in Korea in 1794, a decade after a Korean diplomatYi Seung-hun (이승훈) returned to Korea. Protestant missionaries arrived in the Joseon Dynasty in 1880. Both Protestant and Catholic missionaries converted large number of Koreans to Christianity. TheMethodist Church and thePresbyterian Church established schools, hospitals, and orphanages in Korea and played an important role in the modernization of Korea.[citation needed]
During the Japanese occupation period, Korean Christians played an important role in the struggle for independence. Factors contributing to the rapid growth of Protestants include the corrupt state of Korean Buddhism, support from intellectual elites, Korean church members' encouragement of self-reliance and self-government, and the promotion of Korean nationalism.[citation needed] Before the separation of the two Koreas, a large number of Christians lived in the northern part of the Korean peninsula, and the influence of Confucianism was not as strong as that in the southern part of the Korean peninsula. Before 1948Pyongyang was an important center of the Christian faith. After the establishment of a communist regime in the north of the Korean peninsula, it is estimated that more than one million South Korean Christians fled to the south of the peninsula to escape the persecution of Christianity in North Korea. Christianity saw a huge increase in the number of people professing it in the 1970s and 1980s. Growth continued in the 1990s, but at a slow pace, with numbers declining since the beginning of the twenty-first century.[citation needed]
Christianity is an important religion in regions includingSeoul,Incheon,Gyeonggi Province, andHonam. There are four main denominations of Christianity in Korea:Presbyterian,Methodist,Baptist, andCatholic.Yeouido Full Gospel Church is the largestPentecostal church in Korea. Korean Catholics can still keep the traditional ritual of worshipping ancestors, just like Catholics in the Chinese world; on the contrary, Protestants have completely abandoned the ritual of worshipping ancestors.
There are about 200,000 followers ofIslam (Korean: 이슬람교) in South Korea, most of whom are foreign migrant workers fromSouth Asia,West Asia,Indonesia, andMalaysia, and there are less than 30,000 localKorean Muslims. The Korean Muslim communities are mainly located inSeoul andBusan, with Seoul containing about 40% of the country’s Muslims. The largest mosque in South Korea is the Seoul Central Mosque and there are smaller mosques found in the other cities.[34] Seoul alone has 40% of South Korea's total Muslim population.
Jews first came to South Korea with the US military during theKorean War in 1950,[35] Jewish-American soldiers tried to help poor Koreans (especially children) and formed a small community.[35] The Jewish community in South Korea is very small, found only in theSeoul area, with very few Koreans believe in Judaism (유태교).[citation needed]
South Korea's Hindu believers are mainly Indian and Nepalese migrant workers living in South Korea. However, Hindu traditions, such asyoga andVedanta, sparked Koreans' interest in Indian culture. There are two Hindu temples in the Seoul area.[citation needed]
Among historians, it can be argued that Confucianism has been around on the Korean Peninsula since ancient times. However, not an exact time frame can be pinpointed but it is estimated that Confucianism came to the peninsula prior to theThree Kingdoms period.[36] Even in the third and fourth centuries historians gather that Confucian precepts were used by court nobles and others which means that Confucian thought influenced the intellectuals on the peninsula.[37] Confucian thought began to dominate its influence in the government starting in the fourteenth century and moving into the sixteenth century it became the dominant thought and philosophy on the Korean Peninsula.
The rise of Confucianism in Korea led to the rapid decline of Buddhism. During the fifteenth century, King Taejong enacted an anti-Buddhist policy which included reducing the number of monasteries and temples.[38] When Confucianism began to be the dominant philosophy in the sixteenth century, Buddhism became the religion of the uneducated and rural people. The golden age of Confucianism in Korea was during theJoseon Dynasty.[39]
In modern Korea, Confucian temples and educational institutions still exist and exhibit modern practices however, after World War II Confucianism disappeared from the school curriculum.[38] There was a revival of Confucianism in the late 1990s and some practices can still be seen being exhibited today such as funeral rites (which are a mixture of both Christian and Confucianism) and the concept offilial piety. Some of these observations include the veneration of elders, a strong commitment to education, and the rituals and rites dedicated to the dead.[39]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)1.The religion I chose was Korea; Korea never had one single or set religion. It always has gone through several phases of different beliefs overtime. One of the earliest belief systems in Korea was shamanism, which focused on the relationship between humans and the spirit world. As time went on Korea became influenced by countries like China specifically during the three kingdoms period 4th century CE, Buddhism was introduced and quickly became a major part of Korean culture. Later during the Joseon dynasty, Confucianism replaced Buddhism as a leading belief system. 2.Korean religion does not really have one main sacred text that everyone follows because Korea never had one set religion. Instead, there are just traditional writings for example, Buddhism has its scriptures but was not widely followed. When Confucianism took over korean culture people begin using Chinese text, but even then, nothing was officially established as sacred. Many Koreans follow Christianity and use the Bible but during earlier times when they practiced shamanism, they relied on oral tradition past down through generations. 3.For this question, I decided to focus on Korea’s earliest religion, shamanism and the one most commonly practice today, Christianity. In early Korean shamanism people worshipped nature and animals and believe in strong spiritual connections between the human world and spirit world. They did not really follow one main God or person like Christians do with Jesus Christ instead, they believe that certain people had a stronger connection to the spiritual world, and those individuals are as guides or shamans who could communicate with spirits. Basically, shamanism was not based on a single figure, but keeping a balance in harmony between both worlds, the spiritual realm and reality. In Christianity, which is more common in Korea today, people believe in God and Jesus Christ and follow the teachings of the Bible. 4.In early Korean shamanism, people believe in healing and liberation through spiritual balance, not to be saved from sin like in other religions. Misfortune or illness was seen as a sign that the spirits were angry, or that something was out of balance. The goal of shamanism was to keep harmony between the spiritual realms and humans. Shermans were people who guided others to this process, helping them find purpose, through ritual sacrifices and communication with the spirits. For the afterlife, shamans believed the spirits of the dead continue to exist, they believed ancestors should be honored and given offerings to keep the spirits happy. In Christianity, liberation, and salvation come from faith in Jesus Christ, who died and resurrected to save humanity from sin. Christians believe that you do not need to make sacrifices but instead follow God’s teachings and the ten Commandments. The ultimate goals are to live faithfully, forgive others and secure a place in heaven, which is seen as a final paradise. Christians believe in both in heaven and hell; heaven is for those who follow Jesus and make good choices and hell is for those who reject God. 5.In early shamanism, evil was not seen the same way as in other religions. Suffering, bad luck, or anything negative happening in someone’s life was seen as a sign that the spirits were upset. Evil was not viewed as a force, like the “devil” or “demons,” but more like the spirit world being angry and sending negative energy into someone’s life. People believe they could fix this through sacrifices, ceremonies, and rituals to calm the spirits and restore peace between the human and spiritual world. In Christianity, evil comes from sin when a person sins it is believed that evil spirits demons and the devil influence them to go against God ‘s teachings. Many Christians believe that certain things in the world or specific music, shows, or holidays or are ways the devil try to distract people from their faith. It is believed that suffering exist because humans live in a world that is not meant to be perfect, it is more like a test of faith and deliverance. Christians believe that through God and Jesus Christ they can overcome evil and find peace in their faith. 6.In early shamanism, three important practices were ritual ceremonies, sacrifices, and spirit communication. In in Christianity, three common practices were prayer, baptism, and communion.7.In early shamanism, they were not political issues like we have today, that is more seen in modern times. Early shamanism focuses more on respecting life spirits in nature; they believe that terrible things like misfortune or sickness happened when people do not satisfy the spirits. Their main values were to respect the spirits keep balance with nature and live in harmony with the world around them. In Christianity, there are many political and unethical beliefs seen as the “faithful choice.” Some of the biggest ethical issues, include abortion and same-sex marriage, which often seen as taboo in traditional Christianity. When I was younger, Christianity felt stricter about those topics, but now it seems modern Christian groups are becoming more open and accepting. 8.For early shamanism a current event happening today is the revival of modern shamanism in Korea, especially online. Many people especially younger generations are bringing back shamanistic beliefs through social media. Also there have been tensions between modern shamanism and Christianity. Some Koreans say that shamanism is tied to older Korean traditions and believe it should be followed as part of Korea’s identity. For Christianity, there have been gatherings where large groups of Christians came together to show support or opposition towards modern social issues like same-sex relationships, this shows how Christianity in Korea is becoming more modernized and active in political and social matters. There is also an upcoming religious event in two years that will focus on inter-religious dialogue which is important since Christianity is considered a minority religion in Korea.
Works CitedBaker, Donald L. “The Impact of Christianity on Modern Korea: An overview.” Acta Koreana, vol.19, no.1, 2016, pp. 45-67. Project MUSE,https://muse.jhu.edu/.
Walraven, Boudewjin. “Our Shamanistic Past: The Korean Government, Shamans and Shamanism.” Copenhagen Business School Research Portal, rauli.cbs.dk,2023,https://rauli.cbs.dk/.
Koudele, Pál. Religious Institutionalization: Understanding Why Leaders Practice Shamanism in South Korea.” Asia-Pacific Social Science Review, vol. 25, no. 1, 2025,https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/.
Qian, Yong, and Yinj Zhao. “The Rise and Evolution of Korean Christian Foreign Missions and Political Interaction.” HTS Theological Studies, vol 81, no. 2, 2025,https://journals.co.za/.
