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| Korean new religious movements | |
|---|---|
| Name | Korean new religious movements |
| Main classification | New religious movements |
| Founded date | 19th–20th centuries |
| Founded place | Korea |
| Theology | Syncretic |
| Area | Korea, Diaspora |
Korean new religious movements are a diverse set of syncretic religious groups that emerged in Joseon dynasty Korea and expanded through the Japanese colonial period into the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, later spreading to diasporas in United States, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, and beyond. These movements often combine elements from Confucianism, Buddhism, Shamanism, Taoism, Christianity, and indigenous revivalist currents, producing organizations such as Cheondoism, Donghak, Unification Church, Chongdo Korean Church?.
The origins trace to 19th-century peasant-led revitalizations like Donghak (Eastern Learning) founded by Choe Je-u, which responded to pressures from Opium Wars-era trade, the Taiping Rebellion, and encroachment by France and United Kingdom, culminating in the Donghak Peasant Revolution and the 1894–1895 clashes that influenced Gabo Reform. In the early 20th century movements interacted with Korean independence movement activists, March 1st Movement, and intellectuals influenced by Enlightenment-era Christian missionary activity and the modernist doctrines circulating in Seoul, Pyongyang, and Incheon.
Prominent groups include Cheondoism (modernized from Donghak), the Unification Church (founded by Sun Myung Moon), Jeungsanism branches tracing to Kang Jeungsan, Won Buddhism (founded by Sotaesan), Daejongism (revival of Dangun veneration), Salvation Sect variants, and newer networks like Providence Church (also known as JMS). Other organizations with significant followings or controversies include Odaeyang, Gucheo, Chilseonghoe, Mugeukdo, and internationalized entities such as Family Federation for World Peace and Unification and movements associated with figures like Lee Jang Rim or groups implicated in scandals involving Suwon or Daegu. Several denominations have split into many sects—examples include offshoots of Jeungsanism such as Daesoon Jinrihoe and Sungjang branches—and newer networks like Christian Gospel Mission interacting with established churches like Presbyterian Church in Korea and Methodist Church congregations.
Theologies often synthesize Confucius-centered ethics, Buddha-derived cosmologies, Jesus-centered soteriology, folk shamanic rites, and millenarian expectations influenced by figures like Hong Beom-do-era messianic leaders. Rituals may include pilgrimages to sites like Jiri Mountain, healing ceremonies comparable to mudang rites, mass weddings modeled after Blessing ceremony practices in the Unification Church, and scriptural texts claimed as revelations akin to Jeungsanism scriptures. Doctrinal emphases cover themes like national restoration resonant with Dangun myth, providential mission similar to Sun Myung Moon’s world mission, reincarnation concepts shared with Won Buddhism, and ethical reform parallel to Cheondogyo teachings.
These movements have attracted adherents across urban centers like Seoul, Busan, Daegu, and rural provinces, drawing converts from backgrounds in Roman Catholic Church, Protestantism, Buddhist orders, and traditional village faiths. Membership estimates vary widely: organizations like the Unification Church and Won Buddhism have reported tens of thousands to millions globally, while smaller sects maintain local followings around shrines in Gyeonggi Province, North Gyeongsang Province, and Jeju Province. Their social roles include establishing schools, hospitals, media outlets, and charitable foundations linked to institutions such as Yonsei University-affiliated initiatives or missionary networks active in Africa and Latin America.
Relations with state authorities have been fraught: Japanese colonial government suppression during the early 20th century, postwar surveillance by National Intelligence Service and controversies in the Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan eras, and modern legal conflicts over tax status, property, and criminal allegations. High-profile incidents include the assassination of figures tied to sectarian disputes, litigation involving leaders like Sun Myung Moon in United States courts, and domestic prosecutions over fraud, embezzlement, or unlawful confinement in cases before the Supreme Court of Korea. Legislative responses have involved debates in the National Assembly and administrative actions by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Korean new religious movements appear in literature by authors such as Yi Kwang-su and Kim Tongin, in films depicting sectarian scandals screened at festivals like Busan International Film Festival, and in television dramas set in Seoul’s religious marketplaces. Critics from institutions such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and domestic NGOs have raised concerns about coercive conversion, family estrangement, and financial exploitation; conversely, scholars at Seoul National University, Korea University, and Kyung Hee University publish academic studies situating movements within modernity, nationalism, and transnational flows.
In the 21st century many groups have internationalized through networks in United States, Japan, Philippines, Russia, and Brazil, leveraging technology platforms, transnational marriages, and NGO partnerships with bodies like the United Nations and faith-based coalitions. Newer leaders deploy social media strategies, hold transnational conferences in cities such as Los Angeles and Tokyo, and engage in interfaith dialogues alongside organizations like World Council of Churches-adjacent groups, even as tensions persist over legal recognition, ecumenical acceptance, and generational change within communities centered in Gangnam and other urban districts.
Category:Korean religions