South Korea

SOUTH KOREA

A. THE COUNTRY

The Republic of Korea occupies the southern half of the Korean peninsula
in Asia.  With the capital, Seoul, being only 30 miles from the
demilitarized zone bordering North Korea, any conflict would immediately
affect millions. S. Korea has a multiparty democratic government.  A
modern nation, it has a wide range of sophisticated industries, with a
highly educated workforce and technological innovation, but few natural
resources.

B. THE PEOPLE

The population is ~48,501,000 and the official language is Korean.
S. Korea is one of the world’s most ethnically homogenous nations.
~97.8% are Korean (an ancient and cultured nation).
~2.2% are Other (Of the ~1 million foreigners, nearly one-half reside
for work purposes and one-fourth are illegal immigrants).
Society and culture in S. Korea saw great change in the last generation.
Inequality between rich and poor is accelerating, and moral foundations
appear to be eroding.

C. RELIGIONS AND CHRISTIANITY/PENTECOSTALISM

Published numbers range widely due to uncertain boundaries between
religious heritage and actual belief and practise.  Many Koreans have no
formal religious ties but still hold religious beliefs.  There are as
many as 300 new religions that are a mix of Korea’s established
religions.  ~30.95% claim to be Christian, ~23.7% Buddhist, ~7%
Ethnoreligionist ~4.3% Other, ~2.7% Chinese, 0.29% Muslim, ~0.08%
Baha’i.     In the Christian category:
~34.48% are Protestant, ~9.18% Catholic, ~0.86% Independent, ~0.1%
Anglican, ~2.98% (69 denominations) are considered to be “marginal”.
The actual number of Protestants may be near half of what is claimed in
official denominational reports.
Evangelicals represent ~16.8% of the population.
Charismatics represent ~4.3% and of those ~2.7% are Pentecostals.
S. Korea has 6 of the 10 largest churches in the world, and some of the
world’s largest theological colleges, baptismal services and
evangelistic and Christian gatherings in history, and is one of the
foremost Churches in the world for missions vision

Donna Siemens

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org

Operation World, Jason Mandryk. Colorado Springs: Biblica Publishing, 2010.