Irreligion in South Korea makes up 56% of the population saying they are not affiliated with a religion, as of the 2015 national census. Irreligion should not be confused with

atheism Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...

, as a vast majority of Koreans believe in

ancestral worship The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...

and

deities A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...

due to the significant influences of

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

and

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

in the country, similar to many other countries in other parts of Asia. Therefore, with Buddhism and Confucianism incorporation into traditional Korean culture, it is now considered a philosophy and cultural background rather than a formal religion. As a result, many people outside of the practicing population are deeply influenced by these traditions. Thus, when counting secular believers or those influenced by the faith while not following other religions, the number of Buddhists in South Korea is considered to be much larger. Similarly, in officially atheist North Korea, while Buddhists officially account for 4.5% of the population, a much larger number (over 80%) of the population are influenced by Buddhist and Confucianist customs and philosophies.

Classification with Atheism

While irreligion makes up about 50% of South Korea's population, only 12% of South Koreans were "convinced atheists.", according to a 2012

Gallup International The Gallup International Association (GIA) is an association of opinion poll, polling organizations registered in Zurich, Switzerland. The Gallup International Association was founded in 1947 in Loxwood Hall, Sussex, UK. Dr. George Gallup, George ...

poll."

Demographics

South Koreans with no religious affiliation by year (1985-2015)

South Koreans with no religious affiliation by age (2015)

South Koreans with no religious affiliation by gender (2015)

History

Prior to the 20th century, Korean society was

Neo-Confucian Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, and originated with Han Yu (768–824) and Li Ao (772–841) in th ...

, and most Koreans were nontheists, who were not concerned with the question of whether or not God existed. Following the

division of Korea The division of Korea began with the defeat of Empire of Japan, Japan in World War II. During the war, the Allies of World War II, Allied leaders considered the question of Korea's future after Japan's surrender in the war. The leaders reached ...

in the mid-20th century, approximately 88% of South Koreans said they had no religious affiliation in 1964. While religiousness in South Korea experienced a sharp rise in the 20th century, the majority of South Koreans (56%) had no religious affiliation as of 2015 national census. According to a 2012

poll, 15% of South Koreans said they were "convinced atheists," an increase from 11% in 2005. According to some experts, contemporary irreligion in South Korea can be partially attributed to South Koreans' distrust of

hierarchical organization A hierarchical organization or hierarchical organisation (see spelling differences) is an organizational structure where every entity in the organization, except one, is subordinate to a single other entity. This arrangement is a form of a hierarc ...

s like religious groups. Experts also point to South Korea's demanding education and work systems as reasons why few young South Koreans participate in organized religion.

Notes

References

{{Asia topic, Irreligion in Religion in South Korea

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...