Shin Dong-chun, President of the Association of Citizens for Free Unification, Doctor of Public Administration What is Freedom of Religion

Freedom of religion is one of the fundamental human rights, explicitly guaranteed by Article 20 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea. This article includes freedom of faith, freedom to choose a religion, and freedom of religious assembly and association, which means the right of individuals to freely choose and practice their beliefs. 

Furthermore, Article 18, Paragraph 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by the UN also clearly stipulates the freedom of conscience, religion, and thought. These legal guarantees are the driving force behind the Republic of Korea becoming a 'haven for religion' where diverse religions such as Christianity, Catholicism, and Buddhism coexist and flourish. 

However, religious acts by some cults that disturb public order and security may be subject to certain restrictions. Freedom of religion has historically faced constant challenges and persecution.

A History of Religious Persecution

Freedom of religion has not always been a guaranteed right throughout human history. During the Roman Empire, early Christians faced severe persecution for their faith. Hiding in catacombs to worship, they experienced sacrifices of faith exemplified by the symbolic death of the martyr Peter and the legend of ‘Quo Vadis’. Emperor Constantine I eventually ended the persecution of Christians with the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, marking a significant turning point that allowed religious freedom within the empire.

In the 17th century, English Puritans, fleeing religious persecution, sailed on the Mayflower to the New World in search of religious freedom. The American Declaration of Independence (1776) stipulated unalienable rights and Article 1 of the Constitution guaranteed freedom of religion. However, even in the 20th century, the massacre of Armenian Christians and Hitler's Holocaust against Jews left scars of brutal persecution based on religion and ethnic identity.

Korea, too, has not been spared from a history of religious persecution. The introduction of Catholicism in the late Joseon Dynasty brought the spread of a new faith, but it led to strong suppression by an ignorant court that failed to grasp the changing tides amidst the turbulence of Western encroachment. The persecution of Catholics, exemplified by the Kihae Persecution (1839) and the French Campaign against Korea (1866), resulted in numerous martyrs. The martyrdom of Father Kim Dae-geon, the exile of brothers Jeong Yak-yong and Jeong Yak-jeon, and the canonization of 103 Catholic martyrs symbolize the suffering of this period.

Western missionaries, such as those from America, who began arriving in Korea in 1883, devoted themselves with dedication and sacrifice in a foreign land to instill the gospel of God, human dignity, and universal ethical consciousness, gifting enlightenment and civilization to this land. This became the foundation for the reflection of a Christian worldview in the Constitution of the Republic of Korea. During the Japanese colonial era, Christians and people of other faiths had their freedom of religion infringed upon due to the forced participation in Shinto shrine worship, which led to resistance aimed at preserving their religious identity.

On May 31, 1948, at the Constituent Assembly, Representative Lee Yun-young offered an opening prayer at the proposal of interim chairman Dr. Syngman Rhee.

"...We believe that God's holy glory will surely come to this land. We pray that you will grant us Korean independence and the unification of North and South, and also bestow happiness and peace upon our people and world peace..."

Modern Challenges

Even in modern times, freedom of religion continues to be threatened. In particular, communist ideology, based on materialistic atheism, has denied religion. Communist regimes, such as the former Soviet Union and present-day China and North Korea, have systematically suppressed religious activities and infringed upon freedom of faith.

In the Soviet Union (1917-1991), Lenin and Stalin designated the Russian Orthodox Church as 'counter-revolutionary,' executing tens of thousands of clergy and destroying thousands of churches. In China, Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) sacrificed millions through the destruction of Buddhist and Christian temples and the persecution of clergy. Today in China, Falun Gong and underground Christians are monitored and detained. North Korea has suppressed churches since liberation, considering religious activities as treason against the state and executing underground believers.

Protecting Freedom of Religion is Everyone's Responsibility

The Republic of Korea guarantees freedom of religion in its Constitution, and over 25 million believers, including Christians, Catholics, and Buddhists, form diverse religious communities. To protect the freedom of religion, a fundamental right stipulated in the Constitution, requires the awareness and institutional efforts of the government, religious individuals, and civil society. Protecting the freedom of faith for all religious people is more than just a legal obligation; it is about safeguarding human dignity. Freedom of religion is a precious value that we must protect together.

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