Irreligion in South Korea

Religion in South Korea (2015 census)^[1]^[2]

Irreligious (56.1%)

Protestantism (19.7%)

Korean Buddhism (15.5%)

Catholicism (7.9%)

Other (0.8%)

Irreligion in South Korea is common, with 56% percent of the population saying they are not affiliated with a religion, as of the 2015 national census.^[1] South Korea also has the 5th largest population of atheists in the world, according to a 2012 Gallup International poll, which found that 15% of South Koreans were "convinced atheists."^[3] According to a 2021 Gallup Korea poll, 60% identify with no religion, 17% with Protestantism, 16% with Buddhism, 6% with Catholicism, and 1% with other religions.^[4]

Demographics

South Koreans with no religious affiliation by year (1985-2015)

Year	Percent	People
1985 ^[5]	57%	23,216,356
1995 ^[6]	49%	21,953,315
2005 ^[7]	46%	21,865,160
2015 ^[1]	56%	27,498,715

South Koreans with no religious affiliation by age (2015)

Age ^[1]	Percent
20-29	65%
30-39	62%
40-49	57%
50-59	49%
60-69	42%
70-79	41%
80-85	42%
above 85	43%

South Koreans with no religious affiliation by gender (2015)

Gender ^[1]	Percent
Male	61%
Female	52%

History

Prior to the 20th century, Korean society was Neo-Confucian, and most Koreans were nontheists, who were not concerned with the question of whether or not God existed. Following the division of Korea in the mid-20th century, approximately 88% of South Koreans said they had no religious affiliation in 1964. While religiousness in South Korea experienced a sharp rise in the 20th century, the majority of South Koreans (56%) had no religious affiliation as of 2015 national census.^[8]^[1] According to a 2012 Gallup International poll, 15% of South Koreans said they were "convinced atheists," an increase from 11% in 2005.^[3]

According to some experts, contemporary irreligion in South Korea can be partially attributed to South Koreans' distrust of hierarchical organizations like religious groups. Experts also point to South Korea's demanding education and work systems as reasons why few young South Koreans participate in organized religion.^[9]^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "성, 연령 및 종교별 인구 - 시군구" [Population by Gender, Age, and Religion - City/Country]. Korean Statistical Information Service (in Korean). 2015. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
^ Quinn, Joseph Peter (2019). "South Korea". In Demy, Timothy J.; Shaw, Jeffrey M. (eds.). Religion and Contemporary Politics: A Global Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 365. ISBN 978-1-4408-3933-7. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Global Index of Religiosity and Atheism". WIN-Gallup International. 2012-07-27. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
^ "한국인의 종교 1984-2021 (1) 종교 현황". 한국갤럽조사연구소 (in Korean). Gallup Korea. 18 May 2021.
^ "시도/연령/성별 종교인구" [Population by Cities, Age, Gender, Religion]. Korean Statistical Information Service (in Korean). 1985. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
^ "행정구역/성/연령별 종교인구" [Population of Religions by Region, Gender, Age]. Korean Statistical Information Service (in Korean). 1995. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
^ "성/연령/종교별 인구 - 시군구" [Population by Gender, Age, and Religion - City/Country]. Korean Statistical Information Service (in Korean). 2005. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
^ Baker, Don (2013). "Korea's Path of Secularisation". In Ghosh, Ranjan (ed.). Making Sense of the Secular: Critical Perspectives from Europe to Asia. Routledge. pp. 182–193. ISBN 1136277218.
^ Strother, Jason (2017-05-08). "The Rise of Café Churches in South Korea". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
^ Borowiec, Steven (2017-05-28). "Why young South Koreans are turning away from religion". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2018-03-20.