Religion in South Korea - wikipedia Religion in South Korea Religious affiliation according to national census of South Korea 2015 No formal religion, Sindo, Korean Confucianism, unregistered groups ( 56.9 % ) Protestantism ( 19.7 % ) Roman Catholicism ( 7.9 % ) Korean Buddhism ( 15.5 % ) A Christian church on the back of a Jingak Order 's Buddhist temple in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. One of the little and inconspicuous Sindo shrines ( shamanic ) to be found in Korea. This one is in Ansan. On the left window it shows a manja ( 만자 ), which in Korea symbolises a shamanic facility. Religion in South Korea is characterised by the fact that an absolute majority of South Koreans ( 56.9 % as of 2015 ) have no formal membership in a religious organisation ; among those who are members of a religious organisation, there is a dominance of Protestantism, Buddhism, and Roman Catholicism. According to the national census conducted in 2015, 19.7 % of the population belongs to Protestantism, 15.5 % to Buddhism ( Korean Buddhism ), and 7.9 % to the Roman Catholic Church ; in total Christianity is the religion of 27.6 % of the Korean population. Buddhism was influential in ancient times and Christianity persuaded large segments of the population already in the 18th and 19th century, yet they grew rapidly in membership only by the mid-20th century, as part of the profound transformations that South Korean society has gone through in the past century, and then have shown some decline from the 2000s onwards. Native shamanic religions ( i.e. Sindo ) remain popular and could represent a large part of the unaffiliated. Indeed, according to a 2012 survey, only 15 % of the population declared to be not religious in the sense of `` atheism ''. According to the 2015 census, the proportion of the unaffiliated is higher among the youth, about 65 % among the 20 - years old. Korea entered the 20th century with an already ingrained Christian presence and a vast majority of the population practicing native religion ( Sindo ). The latter never gained the high status of a national religious culture comparable to China 's system and Japan 's Shinto ; this weakness of Korean Sindo was among the reasons that left freehand to an early and thorough rooting of Christianity. The population also took part in Confucianising rites and held private ancestor worship. Organised religions and philosophies belonged to the ruling elites, and the long patronage exerted by the Chinese empire led these elites to embrace a particularly strict Confucianism ( i.e. Korean Confucianism ). Korean Buddhism, despite an erstwhile rich tradition, at the dawn of the 20th century was virtually extinct as a religious institution, after 500 years of suppression under the Joseon kingdom. Christianity had antecedents in the Korean peninsula as early as the 18th century, when the philosophical school of Seohak supported the religion. With the fall of the Joseon in the last decades of the 19th century, Koreans largely embraced Christianity, since the monarchy itself and the intellectuals looked to Western models to modernise the country and endorsed the work of Catholic and Protestant missionaries. During Japanese colonisation in the first half of the 20th century, the identification of Christianity with Korean nationalism was further strengthened, as the Japanese tried to merge native Sindo with their State Shinto. With the division of Korea into two states after 1945, the communist north and the anti-communist south, the majority of the Korean Christian population that had been until then in the northern half of the peninsula, fled to South Korea. It has been estimated that Christians who migrated to the south were more than one million. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, the South Korean state enacted measures to further marginalise indigenous Sindo, at the same time strengthening Christianity and a revival of Buddhism. According to scholars, South Korean censuses do not count believers in indigenous Sindo and underestimate the number of adherents of Sindo sects. Otherwise, statistics compiled by the ARDA estimate that as of 2010, 14.7 % of South Koreans practice ethnic religion, 14.2 % adhere to new movements, and 10.9 % practice Confucianism. According to some observers, the sharp decline of some religions ( Catholicism and Buddhism ) recorded between the censuses of 2005 and 2015 is due to the change in survey methodology between the two censuses. While the 2005 census was an analysis of the entire population ( `` whole survey '' ) through traditional data sheets compiled by every family, the 2015 census was largely conducted through the internet and was limited to a sample of about 20 % of the South Korean population. It has been argued that the 2015 census penalised the rural population, which is more Buddhist and Catholic and less familiar with the internet, while advantaging the Protestant population, which is more urban and has easier access to the internet. Both the Buddhist and the Catholic communities criticised the 2015 census ' results. Contents 1 Demographics 2 History 2.1 Ancient Korea 2.2 1945 onwards -- South Korea 2.3 Protestant attacks on Buddhism and other traditional religions 3 Main religious organisations 3.1 Christianity 3.1. 1 Mormonism 3.2 Buddhism 3.2. 1 Won Buddhism 4 Indigenous religions 4.1 Korean shamanism -- Sindo 4.2 Cheondoism 4.3 Other sects 5 Other religions 5.1 Other mostly East Asian religions 5.1. 1 Korean Confucianism 5.1. 2 Chinese religion 5.1. 3 Japanese Shinto 5.2 Other mostly Asian religions 5.2. 1 Islam 5.2. 2 Hinduism 5.2. 3 Judaism 5.3 Unification Church 6 See also 7 Footnotes 8 References 9 Sources 10 External links Demographics Religion 1950 - 1962 1985 1995 2005 2015 Number % Number % Number % Number % Number % Christianity - 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 18.2 % 9,676,000 19.7 % Roman Catholicism - 2.2 % - 4.6 % 2,885,000 6.6 % 5,015,000 10.8 % 3,890,000 7.9 % Korean 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 % - - No formal religion - - - 57.3 % - 49.6 % - 47, 2 % - 56.9 % Demographic trends of the main religions in South Korea, per censuses No formal affiliation ; Protestantism ; Buddhism ; Catholicism Religious affiliation in South Korea by province ( 2005 ) Province Buddhist Protestant Catholic None or other Seoul 16.8 % 22.8 % 14.2 % 46.2 % Busan 39.2 % 10.4 % 7.4 % 43 % Daegu 33.4 % 10.4 % 9.8 % 46.4 % Incheon 13.8 % 22.4 % 13.7 % 50.1 % Gwangju 14.4 % 19.7 % 13 % 52.9 % Daejeon 21.8 % 20.5 % 10.7 % 47 % Gyeonggi Province 16.8 % 21.9 % 12.4 % 51.1 % Gangwon Province 23 % 15.6 % 9.1 % 52.3 % North Chungcheong Province 23.8 % 15.1 % 9.9 % 51.2 % South Chungcheong Province 20.5 % 19.6 % 9.1 % 50.8 % North Jeolla Province 12.8 % 26.3 % 11.4 % 49.5 % South Jeolla Province 16.1 % 21.8 % 8.7 % 53.4 % North Gyeongsang Province 33.9 % 11.5 % 7.1 % 47.5 % South Gyeongsang Province 40 % 8.8 % 6 % 45.2 % Jeju Province 32.7 % 10.3 % 7.2 % 49.8 % South Korea 22.8 % 18.3 % 10.9 % 46.5 % The 907 major temples of Korean Buddhism by school ( 2005 ) School Temples Jogye Order ( 조계종 ) 735 ( 81 % ) Cheontae Order ( 천태종 ) 144 ( 16 % ) Taego Order ( 태고종 ) 102 ( 11 % ) Beobhwa Order ( 법화종 ) 22 ( 2 % ) Seonhag - won ( 선학원 ) 16 ( 2 % ) Wonhyo Order ( 원 효종 ) 5 ( 1 % ) Other 27 ( 3 % ) History Ancient Korea See also : Religion in North Korea § Ancient Korea Prior to the introduction of Buddhism, all Koreans believed in their indigenous religion socially guided by mu ( shamans ). Buddhism was introduced from the Chinese Former Qin state in 372 to the northern Korean state of Goguryeo and developed into distinctive Korean forms. At that time, the peninsula was divided into three kingdoms : the aforementioned Goguryeo in the north, Baekje in the southwest, and Silla in the southeast. Buddhism reached Silla only in the 5th century, but it was made the state religion only in that kingdom in the year 552. Buddhism became much more popular in Silla and even in Baekje ( both areas now part of modern South Korea ), while in Goguryeo the Korean indigenous religion remained dominant. In the following unified state of Goryeo ( 918 -- 1392 ) Buddhism flourished, and even became a political force. The Joseon kingdom ( 1392 -- 1910 ), adopted an especially strict version of Neo-Confucianism ( i.e. Korean Confucianism ) and suppressed and marginalised Korean Buddhism and Korean shamanism. Buddhist monasteries were destroyed, and their number dropped from several hundreds to a mere thirty - six ; Buddhism was eradicated from the life of towns as monks and nuns were prohibited from entering them and were marginalised to the mountains. These restrictions lasted until the 19th century. In the late 19th century, the Joseon state was politically and culturally collapsing. Interested parties were looking for solutions to invigorate and transform the nation. It was in this critical period that they came into contact with Western Protestant missionaries who offered a proven way to use religious beliefs and their system of fears for shaping a citizenship that is obedient to religious and other leaderships. Christian communities already existed in Joseon since the 17th century, however it was only by the 1880s that the government allowed a large number of Western missionaries to enter the country. Protestant missionaries set up schools, hospitals and publishing agencies. The royal family supported Christianity. During the absorption of Korea into the Japanese Empire ( 1910 -- 1945 ) the already formed link of Christianity with Korean nationalism was strengthened, as the Japanese tried to impose State Shinto, co-opting within it native Korean Sindo, and Christians refused to take part in Shinto rituals. At the same time, numerous religious movements that since the 19th century had been trying to reform the Korean indigenous religion, notably Cheondoism, flourished. 1945 onwards -- South Korea A mudang holding a gut to placate the angry spirits of the dead. With the division of Korea into two states in 1945, the communist north and the anti-communist south, the majority of the Korean Christian population that had been until then in the northern half of the peninsula, fled to South Korea. Christians who resettled in the south were more than one million. Cheondoists, who were concentrated in the north like Christians, remained there after the partition, and South Korea now has no more than few thousands Cheondoists. The so - called `` movement to defeat the worship of gods '' promoted by governments of South Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, prohibited indigenous cults and wiped out nearly all traditional shrines ( sadang 사당 ) of the Confucian kinship religion. This was particularly tough under the rule of Park Chung - hee ( a Buddhist ). This measure, combined with the rapid social changes of the same period, favoured a rapid revival of Korean Buddhism and growth of Christian churches in a trend to register as members of organised religions. The number of Buddhist temples rose from 2,306 in 1962 to 11,561 in 1997, Protestant churches rose from 6,785 in 1962 to 58,046 in 1997, the Catholic Church had 313 churches in 1965 and 1,366 in 2005, Won Buddhism had 131 temples in 1969 and 418 in 1997. Similarly, Daesun Jinrihoe 's temples have grown from 700 in 1983 to 1,600 in 1994. Statistics from censuses show that the proportion of the South Korean population self - identifying as Buddhist has grown from 2.6 % in 1962 to 22.8 % in 2005, while the proportion of Christians has grown from 5 % in 1962 to 29.2 % in 2005. However, both religions have shown a decline between the years 2005 and 2015, with Buddhism sharply declining in influence to 15.5 % of the population, and a less significant decline of Christianity to 27.6 %. Protestant attacks on Buddhism and other traditional religions Since the 1980s and the 1990s there have been acts of hostility committed by Protestants against Buddhists and followers of traditional religions in South Korea. This include the arson of temples, the beheading of statues of Buddha and bodhisattvas, and red Christian crosses painted on either statues or other Buddhist and other religions ' properties. Some of these acts have even been promoted by churches ' pastors. Main religious organisations Christianity Jeondong Catholic Cathedral in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. Myungsung Church in Seoul. Jeil Church of Suwon, in Gyeonggi Province, by night. Main article : Christianity in Korea Christianity ( 기독교 Gidoggyo ) in South Korea is predominantly Protestant ( 개신교 Gaesingyo, `` renewed teaching '' ) and Catholic ( 천주교 Cheonjugyo, `` religion of the Lord of Heaven '', or 가톨릭교 Gatolliggyo ), respectively with 9.6 million and 3.8 million members as of the 2015 census. There are also small communities of Orthodox Christians ( 정교회 Jeonggyohoe ), founded by Russian Orthodox missionary endeavours in the 19th century, and Mormons ( 모르몬교 Molmongyo ). Foreign Roman Catholic missionaries did not arrive in Korea until 1794, a decade after the return of Yi Sung - hun, a diplomat who was the first baptised Korean in Beijing. He established a grass roots lay Catholic movement in Korea. However, the writings of the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci, who was resident at the imperial court in Beijing, had been already brought to Korea from China in the 17th century. Scholars of the Silhak ( `` Practical Learning '' ) were attracted to Catholic doctrines, and this was a key factor for the spread of the Catholic faith in the 1790s. The penetration of Western ideas and Christianity in Korea became known as Seohak ( `` Western Learning '' ). A study of 1801 found that more than half of the families that had converted to Catholicism were linked to the Seohak school. Largely because converts refused to perform Confucian ancestral rituals, the Joseon government prohibited Christian proselytising. Some Catholics were executed during the early 19th century, but the restrictive law was not strictly enforced. Protestant missionaries entered Korea during the 1880s and, along with Catholic priests, converted a remarkable number of Koreans, this time with the support of the royal government which winked at Westernising forces in a period of deep internal crisis ( due to the waning of centuries - long patronage from a then - weakened China ). The lack of a national religious system compared to those of China and that of Japan ( Korean Sindo never developed to a high status of institutional and civic religion ) gave a free hand to Christian churches. Methodist and Presbyterian missionaries were especially successful. They established schools, universities, hospitals, and orphanages and played a significant role in the modernisation of the country. During the Japanese colonial occupation, Christians were in the front ranks of the struggle for independence. Factors contributing to the growth of Protestantism included the decayed state of Korean Buddhism, the support of the intellectual elite, and the encouragement of self - support and self - government among members of the Korean church, and finally the identification of Christianity with Korean nationalism. A large number of Christians lived in the northern part of the peninsula ( it was part of the so - called `` Manchurian revival '' ) where Confucian influence was not as strong as in the south. Before 1948 Pyongyang was an important Christian centre : one - sixth of its population of about 300,000 people were converts. Following the establishment of the communist regime in the north, an estimated more than one million Korean Christians resettled to South Korea to escape persecution by North Korea 's anti-Christian policies. Christianity grew significantly in the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1990s it continued to grow, but at a slower rate, and since the 2000s it has shown some decline. Christianity is especially dominant in the west of the country including Seoul, Incheon, and the regions of Gyeonggi and Honam. The Christian faith in South Korea is dominated by four denominations : Presbyterianism ( 장로교 pronounced Jangnogyo ), Methodism ( 감리교 pronounced Gamnigyo ), Baptists ( 침례교 pronounced Chimnyegyo ) and Catholicism. The Yoido Full Gospel Church is the largest Pentecostal church in the country. Some non-denominational churches also exist. Korean Catholics still observe jesa ( ancestral rites ) ; the Korean tradition is very different from the institutional religious ancestral worship that is found in China and Japan and can be easily integrated as ancillary to Christianity. Protestants, by contrast, have completely abandoned the practice. The peace churches have not gained a strong foothold on the peninsula. Quaker thought briefly attracted a national following in the late 20th century, thanks to the leadership of Ham Seok - heon. However, after Ham 's death, interest in Quakerism declined. The state of Unitarianism is similar. Mormonism The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints in South Korea was established following the baptism of Kim Ho Jik in 1951. Studying nutrition in Cornell, he met a member of their faith, Oliver Wyman, and was struck with their doctrine. Upon joining the church and completing his degree, Kim travelled back to South Korea, started translations for materials, and helped the church gain official recognition. As of 2012 there were 81,628 Mormons and one temple in Seoul, four missions ( Seoul, Daejeon, Busan, and Seoul South ), 128 congregations, and twenty - four family history centres. Buddhism A building of the Samgwangsa ( temple built in 1969 ) in Busan. Female bodhisattva altar in the Gaeamsa, Buan County, North Jeolla Province. Three - storeys stone pagoda of Bunhwangsa in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Buddhism ( 불교 Bulgyo ) entered Korea from China during the period of the three kingdoms ( 372, or the 4th century ). Buddhism was the dominant religious and cultural influence in the Silla ( 668 - 935 ) and subsequent Goryeo ( 918 - 1392 ) states. Confucianism was also brought to Korea from China in early centuries, and was formulated as Korean Confucianism in Goryeo. However, it was only in the subsequent Joseon kingdom ( 1392 -- 1910 ) that Korean Confucianism was established as the state ideology and religion, and Korean Buddhism underwent 500 years of suppression. Buddhism in the contemporary state of South Korea is stronger in the east of the country, namely the Yeongnam and Gangwon regions, as well as in Jeju. There are a number of different schools in Korean Buddhism ( 대한 불교 Daehanbulgyo ), including the Seon ( Korean Zen ). The overwhelming majority of Buddhist temples in contemporary South Korea belong to the dominant Jogye Order, traditionally related to the Seon school. The order 's headquarters are at Jogyesa in central Seoul, and it operates most of the country 's old and famous temples, such as Bulguksa and Beomeosa. Other Buddhist traditions in South Korea include the `` Taego '' and `` Cheontae '' lineages. Taego is a form of Seon ( Zen ), while the Choentae is a modern revival of the Tiantai lineage in Korea, focusing on the Lotus Sutra. Another lineage, the Jingak, is a form of Vajrayana Buddhism. Both the Jogye and Cheontae orders require their monastics to be celibate, while the Taego and Jingak orders allow for married priests. Won Buddhism Won Buddhism ( 원불교 Wonbulgyo ) is a modern reformed Buddhism that seeks to make enlightenment possible for everyone and applicable to regular life. The scriptures and practices are simplified so that anyone, regardless of their wealth, occupation, or other external living conditions, can understand them. Indigenous religions A Sindo ( shamanic ) shrine at Inwangsan. Inner altar of a Sindo shrine, Ansan. Chaekbawi shrine at Mungyeong Saejae. Pavilions of the Samseonggung, a shrine for the worship of Hwanin, Hwanung, and Dangun. Korean shamanism -- Sindo Korean shamanism, also known as `` Muism '' ( 무교 Mugyo, `` mu ( shaman ) religion '' ) and `` Sindo '' ( 신도 ) or `` Sinism '' ( 신교 Singyo `` Way of the Gods '' ). is the native religion of the Koreans. Although used synonymously, the two terms are n't identical : Jung Young Lee describes Muism as a form of Sindo - the shamanic tradition within the religion. Particularly akin to Japan 's Shinto, contrarywise to it ad to China 's religious systems, Korean Sindo never developed into a national religious culture. In contemporary Korean language the shaman - priest or mu ( hanja : 巫 ) is known as a mudang ( Hangul : 무당 hanja : 巫 堂 ) if female or baksu if male, although other names and locutions are used. Korean mu `` shaman '' is synonymous with Chinese wu, which defines priests both male and female. The role of the mudang is to act as intermediary between the spirits or gods, and the human plain, through gut ( rituals ), seeking to resolve problems in the patterns of development of human life. Central is interaction with Haneullim or Hwanin, meaning `` source of all being '', and of all gods of nature, the utmost god or the supreme mind. The mu are mythically described as descendants of the `` Heavenly King '', son of the `` Holy Mother ( of the Heavenly King ) '', with investiture often passed down through female princely lineage. However, other myths link the heritage of the traditional faith to Dangun, male son of the Heavenly King and initiator of the Korean nation. Besides Japanese Shinto, Korean religion has also similarities with Chinese Wuism, and is akin to the Siberian, Mongolian, and Manchurian religious traditions. Some studies trace the Korean ancestral god Dangun to the Ural - Altaic Tengri `` Heaven '', the shaman and the prince. In the dialects of some provinces of Korea the shaman is called dangul dangul - ari. The mudang is similar to the Japanese miko and the Ryukyuan yuta. Muism has exerted an influence on some Korean new religions, such as Cheondoism and Jeungsanism. According to various sociological studies, Korea 's type of Christianity owes much of its success to native shamanism, which provided a congenial mindset and models for the religion to take root. In the 1890s, the last decades of the Joseon kingdom, Protestant missionaries gained significant influence, and led a demonisation of native religion through the press, and even carried out campaigns of physical suppression of local cults. The Protestant discourse would have had an influence on all further attempts to uproot native religion. The `` movement to destroy Sindo '' carried out in South Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, destroyed much of the physical heritage of Korean religion ( temples and shrines ), especially during the regime of President Park Chung - hee. There has been of a revival of shamanism in South Korea in most recent times. Cheondoism Cheondoism ( 천도교 Cheondogyo ) is a fundamentally Confucian religious tradition derived from indigenous Sinism. It is the religious dimension of the Donghak ( `` Eastern Learning '' ) movement that was founded by Choe Je - u ( 1824 - 1864 ), a member of an impoverished yangban ( aristocratic ) family, in 1860 as a counter-force to the rise of `` foreign religions '', which in his view included Buddhism and Christianity ( part of Seohak, the wave of Western influence that penetrated Korean life at the end of the 19th century ). Choe Je - u founded Cheondoism after having been allegedly healed from illness by an experience of Sangje or Haneullim, the god of the universal Heaven in traditional shamanism. The Donghak movement became so influential among common people that in 1864 the Joseon government sentenced Choe Je - u to death. The movement grew and in 1894 the members gave rise to the Donghak Peasant Revolution against the royal government. With the division of Korea in 1945, most of the Cheondoist community remained in the north, where the majority of them dwelled. Only few thousands of them remain in South Korea today. The social and historical significance of the Donghak movement and Cheondoism has been largely ignored in South Korea, contrarywise to North Korea where Cheondoism is viewed positively as a folk ( minjung ) movement. Other sects Apart from Cheondoism, other sects based on indigenous religion were founded between the end of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century. They include Daejongism ( 대종교 Daejonggyo ), which has as its central creed the worship of Dangun, legendary founder of Gojoseon, thought of as the first proto - Korean kingdom ; and a splinter sect of Cheondoism : Suwunism. Jeungsanism ( 증산교 Jeungsangyo ) defines a family of religions founded in the early 20th century that emphasise magical practices and millenarian teachings. Part of it are more than a hundred `` Jeungsan religions, '' including the now defunct Bocheonism : the largest in Korea is currently Daesun Jinrihoe ( 대순 진리회 ), an offshoot of the still existing Taegeukdo ( 태극 도 ), while Jeungsando ( 증산도 ) is the most active overseas. They show themes derived from Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Korean folk religion. There are also a number of small religious sects, which have sprung up around Gyeryongsan ( `` Rooster - Dragon Mountain '', always one of Korea 's most - sacred areas ) in South Chungcheong Province, the supposed future site of the founding of a new dynasty originally prophesied in the 18th century ( or before ). Japanese Tenriism ( 천리교 Cheonligyo ) also claims to have thousands of South Korean members. According to Andrew Eungi Kim, there was a rise of new religious movements in the late 1900s which account for about 10 percent of all churches in South Korea. According to Kim, this is the outcome of foreign invasions, as well as conflicting views regarding social and political issues. Many of the new religious movements are syncretic in character. Other religions Other mostly east asian religions Korean Confucianism Shrine of a Confucian school in Gangneung. Chisan Seowon, a seowon ( private Confucian school ) of the Joseon era. Ritual at a Confucian temple ( before 1935 ). Only few contemporary South Koreans identify as adherents of Confucianism ( 유교 Yugyo ). Korean intellectuals historically developed a distinct Korean Confucianism. However, with the end of the Joseon state and the wane of Chinese influence in the 19th and 20th century, Confucianism was abandoned. The influence of Confucian ethical thought remains strong in other religious practices, and in Korean culture in general. Confucian rituals are still practised at various times of the year. The most prominent of these are the annual rites held at the Shrine of Confucius in Seoul. Other rites, for instance those in honour of clan founders, are held at shrines found throughout the country. Chinese religion Guardian of the God of War ( likely 관우 Gwan - u ) in 1906. Temple of Guan - u in Seoul, dedicated to the Chinese cult of the God of War, was built by Chinese officials funded by the Wanli Emperor of the Ming dynasty. Diplomatic ties between the Chinese empire and the Korean kingdom meant that Chinese officers and diplomats tried to exert influence by exporting Chinese religious models and divine cults, building temples to Chinese gods. Chinese religious facilities were used almost exclusively by Chinese officials and their families and the Korean population remained indifferent towards such practices. The Dongmyo ( Temple of Guan Yu ) in the capital Seoul is one of the few remaining examples of state Chinese religion in Korea. Japanese Shinto Main article : Shinto in Korea Keijyo Shinto Shrine, prior to 1935, Seoul. During Japan 's colonisation of Korea ( 1910 - 1945 ), given the common Altaic origins of the two peoples, Koreans were considered to be outright part of the Japanese population, to be wholly assimilated. The Japanese studied and coopted native Sindo by overlapping it with their State Shinto ( similar measures of assimilation were applied to Buddhism ), which hinged upon the worship of Japanese high gods and the emperor 's godhead. Hundreds of Japanese Shinto shrines were built throughout the peninsula. This policy led to massive conversion of Koreans to Christian churches, which were already well ingrained in the country, representing a concern for the Japanese program, and supported Koreans ' independence. After the downfall of Japanese power in the peninsula, the Shinto infrastructure was completely dismantled. Other mostly asian religions Islam Main article : Islam in Korea Minarets of the Seoul Central Mosque. Islam ( 이슬람교 Iseullamgyo ) in South Korea is represented by a community of roughly 40,000 Muslims, mainly composed by people who converted during the Korean War and their descendants and not including migrant workers from South and Southeast Asia. The largest mosque is the Seoul Central Mosque in the Itaewon district of Seoul ; smaller mosques can be found in most of the country 's major cities. In addition to native Korean Muslims, there are around a hundred thousand foreign workers from Muslim countries, particularly Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. Hinduism Main article : Hinduism in Korea Hinduism ( 힌두교 Hindugyo ) is practiced among South Korea 's small Indian and Nepali immigrant community. However, Hindu traditions such as yoga and Vedanta have attracted interest among younger South Koreans. There are two Hindu temples in the Seoul region, the Sri Radha Shyamasundar Mandir and the Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple, located on Seoul 's outskirts. Judaism Main article : History of the Jews in South Korea The Jewish existence in South Korea effectively began with the dawn of the Korean War in 1950. At this time a large number of Jewish soldiers, including the chaplain Chaim Potok, came to the Korean peninsula. Today the Jewish community is very small and limited to the Seoul Capital Area. There have been very few Korean converts to Judaism ( 유태교 Yutaegyo ). Unification Church Main article : Unification Church The Unification Church or Unificationism ( 통일교 Tongilgyo ) is a new religious movement founded in South Korea in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon. Since its founding, the church has expanded throughout the world with most members living in East Asia. Unificationist beliefs are derived from the Christian Bible and are explained in the church 's textbook, the Divine Principle. It teaches that God is the creator and Heavenly Father, whose dual nature combines both masculinity and femininity and whose centre is true love. The Unification Church has sponsored many organizations and projects over the years ; including businesses, news media, projects in education and the arts, and political and social activism. The church was led by Moon until his death on September 3, 2012. At the time of Moon 's death, it was reported that his widow Hak Ja Han would assume the leadership of the church. Their philosophy for establishing the Kingdom of Heaven is family centred. In 2003, Korean Unification Church members started a political party in South Korea. It was named `` The Party for God, Peace, Unification, and Home ''. In an inauguration declaration, the new party said it would focus on preparing for the reunification of the South and North Korea by educating the public about God and peace. A church official said that similar political parties would be started in Japan and the United States. Other Korean new religions that originated within Christianity are the World Mission Society Church of God and the Victory Altar. See also Wikimedia Commons has media related to Religion in South Korea. Irreligion in South Korea Religion in Japan Religion in Korea Religion in North Korea Footnotes Jump up ^ Cognates of Japanese Shinto and Chinese Shendao. Jump up ^ Another term is dangol ( Hangul : 당골 ). The word mudang is mostly associated, though not exclusively, to female shamans due to their prevalence in the Korean tradition in recent centuries. This has brought to the development of other locutions for male shamans, including sana mudang ( literally `` male mudang '' ) in the Seoul area or baksu mudang ( `` healer mudang '' ), shortened baksu, in the Pyongyang area. It is reasonable to believe that the word baksu is an ancient authentic designation for male shamans. References ^ Jump up to : South Korea National Statistical Office 's 19th Population and Housing Census ( 2015 ) : `` Religion organisations ' statistics ''. Retrieved 20 December 2016 ^ Jump up to : Pyong Gap Min, 2014. Jump up ^ WIN - Gallup International : `` Global Index of Religiosity and Atheism 2012 ''. ^ Jump up to : Kim Han - soo, Shon Jin - seok. 신자 수, 개신교 1 위... `` 종교 없다 '' 56 %. The Chosunilbo, 20 / 12 / 2016. Retrieved 02 / 07 / 2017. ^ Jump up to : Ogata, Mamoru Billy ( 1984 ). A Comparative Study of Church Growth in Korea and Japan : With Special Application to Japan. Fuller Theological Seminary. p. 32 ff. ^ Jump up to : Joon - sik Choi, 2006. p. 15 Jump up ^ Grayson, 2002. pp. 155 - 187 ^ Jump up to : Grayson, 2002. pp. 158 - 161 ^ Jump up to : Grayson, 2002. p. 158, p. 162 ^ Jump up to : Grayson, 2002. p. 163 Jump up ^ Lankov, Andrei. The Real North Korea : Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia. Oxford University Press, 2014. ISBN 0199390037. p. 9. Jump up ^ Kendall, 2010. pp. 4 - 17 Jump up ^ Baker, 2008. pp. 4 - 5 Jump up ^ `` Quality Data on Religion ''. The Association of Religion Data Archives. Retrieved 28 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Republic of South Korea : Religious Adherents, 2010 ( World Christian Database ) ''. Association of Religion Data Archives. Retrieved 27 January 2016. Jump up ^ 1962 South Korea Census. Data recorded in : Pyong Gap Min, Development of Protestantism in South Korea : Positive and Negative Elements. Published on : Asian American Theological Forum ( AATF ), 2014, VOL. 1 NO. 3, ISSN 2374 - 8133 Jump up ^ 2005 South Korea Census religion statistics. Reported in : Baker, 2008. p. 4 Jump up ^ World Religion Database : Christianity in South Korea 1950 - 2014 Jump up ^ `` 2005 Census of South Korea - Religion Results by Province ''. sisapress.com. Jump up ^ 안동 근현대사 ( Andong National : Modern and Contemporary history ) ( PDF ). andong.go.kr ( in Korean ). 15 December 2010. p. 228. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 10 December 2014. 문화 관광부 의 2005 년 5 월 자료 에 따르면 우리나라 에는 907 개의 사찰 이 있는데, 이를 종단 별로 보면, 대한 불교 조계종 735 개소 ( 81 % ), 한국 불교 태 고종 102 개소 ( 11 % ), 대한 불교 법화종 22 개소 ( 2 % ), 선학원 16 개소 ( 2 % ), 대한 불교 원 효종 5 개소 ( 1 % ), 기타 27 개소 ( 3 % ) 순 이다. Jump up ^ At Korean Wikipedia ^ Jump up to : Asia For Educators : Korea, 300 to 600 CE. Columbia University, 2009. Jump up ^ Vermeersch, Sem. ( 2008 ). The Power of the Buddhas : the Politics of Buddhism during the Koryŏ Dynasty ( 918 - 1392 ). p. 3 ^ Jump up to : Grayson, 2002. pp. 120 - 138 ^ Jump up to : Tudor, 2012. Jump up ^ Grayson, 2002. p. 137 ^ Jump up to : Grayson, 2002. p. 155 Jump up ^ Grayson, 2002. p. 157 ^ Jump up to : Grayson, 2002. pp. 157 - 158 ^ Jump up to : Grayson, 2002. p. 158 ^ Jump up to : Carl Young. Into the Sunset : Ch'ŏndogyo in North Korea, 1945 -- 1950. On : Journal of Korean Religions, Volume 4, Number 2, October 2013. pp. 51 - 66 / 10.1353 / jkr. 2013.0010 ^ Jump up to : Kendall, 2010. p. 10 ^ Jump up to : Joon - sik Choi, 2006. p. 17 Jump up ^ Baker, 2008. p. 4 Jump up ^ Baker, 2008. p. 3 Jump up ^ Baker, 2003. p. 5 ^ Jump up to : Buswell, Lee. 2007. p. 375 Jump up ^ Choi Suk - woo. Korean Catholicism Yesterday and Today. On : Korean Journal XXIV, 8, August 1984. pp. 5 - 6 Jump up ^ Kim Han - sik. The Influence of Christianity. In : Korean Journal XXIII, 12, December 1983. pp. 5 - 7 Jump up ^ Kim Ok - hy. Women in the History of Catholicism in Korea. In : Korean Journal XXIV, 8, August 1984. p. 30 Jump up ^ Kwon, Okyun ( 2003 ). Buddhist and protestant Korean immigrants : religious beliefs and socioeconomic aspects of life. LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC. pp. 137 -- 138. ISBN 978 - 1 - 931202 - 65 - 7. Jump up ^ `` Kim Ho Jik : Korean Pioneer ''. The Ensign. July 1988. Retrieved 7 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` Seoul Korea ''. Lds.org. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2013. Jump up ^ `` LDS Church announces creation of 58 new missions ''. Deseret News. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` Facts and Statistics, South Korea ''. LDS Newsroom. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2013. Jump up ^ Pye, Michael. `` Won Buddhism as a Korean New Religion ''. Numen. 49 ( 2 ) : 113 -- 141. doi : 10.1163 / 156852702760186745. JSTOR 3270479. ( Subscription required ( help ) ). Jump up ^ Used in : Chang Soo - kyung, Kim Tae - gon. Korean Shamanism -- Muism. Jimoondang, 1998. Jump up ^ Lee Chi - ran, p. 13 Jump up ^ Used in : Margaret Stutley. Shamanism : A Concise Introduction. Routledge, 2003. ^ Jump up to : Jung Young Lee, 1981. p. 4 ^ Jump up to : Jung Young Lee, 1981. p. 5 Jump up ^ Jung Young Lee, 1981. pp. 3 - 4 Jump up ^ Joon - sik Choi, 2006. p. 21 ^ Jump up to : Jung Young Lee, 1981. p. 18 Jump up ^ Jung Young Lee, 1981. p. 17 Jump up ^ Jung Young Lee, 1981. pp. 5 - 12 Jump up ^ Jung Young Lee, 1981. p. 13 ^ Jump up to : Jung Young Lee, 1981. p. 21 Jump up ^ Sorensen, p. 19 - 20 Jump up ^ Jung Young Lee, 1981. pp. 17 - 18 Jump up ^ Andrew E. Kim ( 2000 ). `` Korean Religious Culture and Its Affinity to Christianity '' ( PDF ). Korea University, Sociology of Religion. Retrieved 28 January 2016. ( Registration required ( help ) ). ^ Jump up to : Kendall, 2010. pp. 4 - 7 Jump up ^ http://www.koreana.or.kr/months/news_view.asp?b_idx=2244&lang=en&page_type=list Jump up ^ http://www.koreana.or.kr/months/news_view.asp?b_idx=2243&lang=en&page_type=list Jump up ^ Joon - sik Choi, 2006. pp. 17 - 18 - 19 Jump up ^ Sang - Hun, Choe ( 6 July 2007 ). `` In the age of the Internet, Korean shamans regain popularity ''. New York Times. Jump up ^ Lee, 1996. p. 109 ^ Jump up to : Lee, 1996. p. 105 ^ Jump up to : Lee, 1996. p. 110 Jump up ^ Baker, 2008. p. 118 Jump up ^ Baker, 2008. p. 85 Jump up ^ Baker, 2008, p. 986 ; Introvigne, 2017. Jump up ^ Introvigne, 2017. Jump up ^ Baker, 2008. p. 93 Jump up ^ `` Characteristics of Religious Life in South Korea : A Sociological Survey ''. Review of Religious Research. 43. JSTOR 3512000. Jump up ^ Yi, Yong - sik ( 2010 ). Shaman Ritual Music in Korea. University of Minnesota. ISBN 1931897107. p. 11 Jump up ^ Korean Social Sciences Journal, 24 ( 1997 ). Korean Social Science Research Council. pp. 33 - 53 Jump up ^ `` Korea 's Muslims Mark Ramadan ''. The Chosun Ilbo. 11 September 2008. Archived from the original on 13 September 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2008. Jump up ^ Matczak, Sebastian ( 1982 ). Unificationism : A New Philosophy and Worldview. New York, NY : New York Learned Publications. Jump up ^ Moon, Sun Myung ( 2013 ). True Families : Gateway To Heaven. 4 West 43rd Street New York, NY : HSA - UWC. p. 37. ISBN 978 - 1 - 931166 - 31 - 7. Jump up ^ `` ' Moonies ' launch political party in S Korea ''. iol.co.za. Sapa - AFP. 10 March 2003. Retrieved 28 January 2016. Sources Daniel Tudor. Korea : The Impossible Country. Tuttle Publishing, 2012. ISBN 0804842523 Donald L. Baker. Korean Spirituality. University of Hawaii Press, 2008. ISBN 0824832574 Donald L. Baker. Modernization and Monotheism : How Urbanization and Westernization Have Transformed the Religious Landscape of Korea. University of British Columbia. Published in : Sang - Oak Lee, Gregory K. Iverson, Pathways into Korean Language and Culture : Essays in Honor of Young - key Kim - Renaud. Pajigong Press, Seoul, 2003. pp. 471 -- 507 James H. Grayson. Korea - A Religious History. Routledge, 2002. ISBN 070071605X Joon - sik Choi. Folk - Religion : The Customs in Korea. Ewha Womans University Press, 2006. ISBN 8973006282 Jung Young Lee. Korean Shamanistic Rituals. Mouton De Gruyter, 1981. ISBN 9027933782 Laurel Kendall. Shamans, Nostalgias, and the IMF : South Korean Popular Religion in Motion. University of Hawaii Press, 2010. ISBN 0824833988 Lee Chi - ran. Chief Director, Haedong Younghan Academy. The Emergence of National Religions in Korea. Massimo Introvigne, `` Daesoon Jinrihoe '', World Religion and Spirituality Project, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017. Pyong Gap Min, Development of Protestantism in South Korea : Positive and Negative Elements. On : Asian American Theological Forum ( AATF ) 2014, VOL. 1 NO. 3, ISSN 2374 - 8133 Robert E. Buswell, Timothy S. Lee. Christianity in Korea. University of Hawaii Press, 2007. ISBN 082483206X Sang Taek Lee. Religion and Social Formation in Korea : Minjung and Millenarianism. Walter de Gruyter & Co, 1996. ISBN 3110147971 Sorensen, Clark W. University of Washington. The Political Message of Folklore in South Korea 's Student Demonstrations of the Eighties : An Approach to the Analysis of Political Theater. Paper presented at the conference `` Fifty Years of Korean Independence '', sponsored by the Korean Political Science Association, Seoul, Korea, July 1995. External links Sung - Gun Kim. Pentecostalism, Shamanism and Capitalism within Contemporary Korean Society. usc.edu Religion in Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China Cyprus East Timor ( Timor - Leste ) Egypt Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen States with limited recognition Abkhazia Artsakh Northern Cyprus Palestine South Ossetia Taiwan Dependencies and other territories British Indian Ocean Territory Christmas Island Cocos ( Keeling ) Islands Hong Kong Macau Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Religion_in_South_Korea&oldid=817650324 '' Categories : Religion in South Korea Hidden categories : Articles containing Korean - language text CS1 uses Korean - language script ( ko ) CS1 Korean - language sources ( ko ) Pages containing links to subscription - only content Pages with login required references or sources EngvarB from July 2017 Use dmy dates from July 2017 Wikipedia articles needing clarification from July 2017 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from April 2015 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano 日本 語 Português Русский Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 29 December 2017, at 19 : 00. 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Question: what is the main religion in south korea
Answer: Christianity