The Catholic Church in South Korea has shown exponential growth in the last 50 years. There were about a half million Catholics in the country in the 1960s. But today, there are nearly 6 million.
It is a country where, according to data from the Korean Bishops' Conference, more than half of the population does not have any religious affiliation. But Catholicism is on the rise.
The Church in Korea is young and has seen an increase in vocations to religious life. In early December, 16 priests and 45 deacons were ordained. And soon, the country will host one of the biggest events of the Catholic church.
POPE FRANCIS
The next World Youth Day will take place in Asia. It will be in South Korea, in Seoul.
Pope Francis visited the country in 2014. It was his first official trip to Asia. There, he met with the Catholic community and saw firsthand how South Korea is becoming one of the pillars of the global Church.
In 2023, a survey was conducted on the Korean church. The results saw that more than 21% of people feel greater confidence in Catholicism.
The Catholic Church has also taken social action through schools, universities, hospitals and soup kitchens. The citizens of South Korea have also said they think Catholicism is the religion that has contributed the most to society.
It is worth noting that South Korea has one of the lowest birth rates, but a high number of baptisms. 41,000 people received this sacrament in 2022 and the number of adult baptisms increased by nearly 10% from the previous year.
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