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South Korea 2
March 7th

“South Korea lives by faith in the Son of God!”
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20,NIV).

▲Reference : CIA

》 Country Profile

Continent | East Asia
Population | 51 million
Area | 99,720㎢ A country on the East Asian peninsula, located between China and Japan.
Capital City | Seoul (9.97 million)
People Groups | Total 23 groups, Korean 96%, Chinese 2%, other 2%
Groups Unreached | 11 groups (0.9% of the population)
Official Language(s) | Korean
Total Languages | 19
Bible Translations | Completed 17, Partial 1 
Religion | Christianity 30.1% (Protestant 19.8%, Catholic 9%), Non-religious 31.5%, Buddhism 23.8%, Ethnic religion 9.8%, Other 4.3%, Evangelical 16.4% 8.46 million people    

》 About South Korea

Korea has a long history as an independent kingdom, but it faced frequent invasions and interference from neighboring countries. In 1910, Japan occupied Korea, and it remained under Japanese control until 1945, when Korea gained independence. In 1948, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) was established. The Korean War, caused by North Korea’s invasion in 1950, devastated the country. The war ended in 1953 with a ceasefire agreement, dividing the Korean Peninsula along the 38th parallel. From 1961 to 1979, under President Park Chung-hee, South Korea experienced rapid economic growth. In 1987, the military regime ended, and a democratic government was formed. Since then, South Korea has held presidential elections under a revised democratic constitution. Currently, President Yoon Suk Yeol, elected in 2022, is in office.

South Korea’s economy has become one of the most notable success stories of the 20th century, transforming into a global leader in advanced technology within a few decades. Although growth slowed in the 1990s, South Korea’s economy grew significantly enough to join the ranks of OECD advanced countries in 1996. The Asian financial crisis hit Korea hard in 1997 and 1998 due to its heavy reliance on short-term loans. However, through measures like restructuring large corporations, increasing labor market flexibility, encouraging foreign investment, and expanding imports, South Korea managed to recover relatively quickly. The country continues to face socio-economic challenges such as rapid aging, a rigid labor market, high youth unemployment, low labor productivity, and ongoing corruption issues. South Korea’s GDP per capita is approximately $42,300.

》 Scripture Focus

Galatians 2:16-21(NIV)
16. [We Jews] know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
17. “If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!
18. If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker.
19. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.
20. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

》 Prayer Points

1. In just 140 years, Protestant Christianity has grown to represent about 30% of the population in Korea, influencing many areas of society. There are many Christian leaders in various fields. The church grew significantly, with “60,000 churches, 150,000 pastors, and 10 million believers.” However, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, around 10,000 churches closed.
The church has failed to consistently follow a life of holiness and humble discipleship. Instead, it became divided by the pursuit of prosperity, materialism, authoritarian pastors bound by organizational hierarchy, and spiritual pride, leading to the fragmentation of many denominations and factions. Furthermore, cults grew significantly, and the church lost much of the public’s trust due to financial scandals, corruption, and sexual crimes within the church.
Let us pray for repentance, that the church may acknowledge its foolishness in trying to show righteousness through dead traditions and actions rather than following the cross of the Lord. Let us pray that the church may truly embrace the righteousness of the gospel—where we die with Christ on the cross and live through Him—and that the church may be obedient, following the Holy Spirit and the Word.

2. Many Korean Christians mix Christianity with older beliefs like Buddhism, Confucianism, and traditional shamanism. Let’s pray that they understand that righteousness comes through faith in Christ, not through works of the law.
There are still many lost souls in Korea who haven’t heard or accepted the gospel. We should pray especially for the next generation, from children to young adults, to be powerfully reached by the gospel, so that they may be saved.
There are also more than 2 million migrant workers in Korea, and their numbers continue to grow. Some churches and mission groups are focusing on these workers and refugees, and they are seeing fruitful results. Let’s pray that Korea will not receive the grace of the cross in vain, but the nation will be obedient in faith to complete the Great Commission.

3. Over 3,000 foreign missionaries have come to Korea, serving humbly like Jesus, with many even sacrificing their lives for the gospel. Some of these missionaries have passed on their mission work to their children, showing unconditional love to the Korean church.Korean churches have also been actively involved in missions. By 2020, there were 22,259 Korean missionaries serving in 168 countries. About 42 denominations and 191 mission organizations are involved in sending and training these missionaries. However, only about 15% of Korean churches are involved in missions in some way.
Let’s pray that Korean missionaries will continue to serve with the faith that comes from believing in “the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for [them].” May they be true witnesses of the gospel as they serve the nations.

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