Andrew Eungi Kim

Korea civil Religion nation building national identity and national symbols

The concept of civil religion refers to beliefs, symbols, and rituals as well as institutions which reinforce social cohesion, legitimate the socio-political system, and mobilize citizens to achieve common national objectives. Because it celebrates and reinforces the nation’s culture and history, civil religion is a source of powerful identity which promotes national unity and sustains individual commitment toward national goals. The question is thus: Is there civil religion in South Korea? If so, what are its characteristics? In view of these questions, this paper examines Korea’s culture, history, national symbols, and renewed traditionalism to identify the characteristics of Korean civil religion. The paper argues that a strong civil religion exists in Korea and that it has been an integral part of the nation-building process since the founding of the First Republic in 1948. The paper also asserts that a succession of authoritarian governments (1961–1993) has promoted strong civil religion to legitimatize the regime and to mobilize the masses to actively participate in the modernization and industrialization processes. Also examined in the paper is how Korean civil religion to this day has endorsed economic growth as the national goal to overcome all social ills; how Korean civil religion has promoted national confidence and pride regarding the country’s alleged ethnic and cultural homogeneity; how it has ascribed sacred meanings to such secular symbols as the flag and the national anthem; and how it has exalted Shamanism as a repository of Korean culture and has glorified certain traditional Confucian values.