HISTORY of the Korean Church

Those guests who attended the Busan General Assembly received copies of the book: Christianity in Korea: Historical Moments of Protestant Churches. This is the English version of a book on Korean Church history printed in Korean in August, 2013, and reproduced in English for the guests coming to the WCC Assembly. It was produced particularly in Korean, as NCCK General Secretary Kim Young Ju said in the Preface, “to keep the precious history of the churches that make our current existence possible, and further, to lay a foundation for the churches of the future.”

Circumstances have divided Korea’s Protestant Church’s 130-year history into 2 nearly equal sections, before and after the country’s independence from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. Independence brought about significant changes in the place of Christians in society. “Before independence, Protestant churches were not separated from Western culture and society, and in this era, Christianity had a great influence on the modernization of Korea. After independence, Protestant churches became part of the ruling power under the US military government and the Rhee Syngman government.” (from the Preface) Readers are given an insight into the division of the church into progressive and conservative branches, such an noticeable feature of Korean church life. This is a very interesting and readable look at the structure and status of the churches in Korean society.