AFWIS Joins Operation World in Prayer for the Republic of South Korea - Asia

Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)

Home > Aug 06: Korea, South

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Aug 06: Korea, South

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Korea, South

Republic of Korea

Asia

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Geography

Area: 99,067 sq km
Southern half of Korean peninsula. Forested mountain ranges; 22% arable.
Population: 48,500,717    Annual Growth: 0.39%
Capital: Seoul
Urbanites: 81.9%
HDI Rank: 26 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)

Peoples

Official language: Korean    Languages: 4 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Non-religious

Religion		Pop %	Ann Gr
Christians	15,010,972	30.95	0.4
Evangelicals	8,164,977	16.8	0.7
Non-religious	15,025,522	30.98

Prayercast

Challenges for Prayer

The less-evangelized groups that need special approaches in ministry:
a) Shamanism is resurgent, though few openly claim to be followers of this ancient Korean religion. It is estimated that there are more than 300,000 shamans and 300 shamanistic temples within one hour of Seoul. Many Koreans still consult shamans and fortune tellers.
b) Korean Muslims. These are growing in number as a result of Islamic missionary efforts among Koreans working in the Middle East. There are about 35,000 to 40,000 Korean Muslims as well as over 100,000 illegal migrant workers; the significant majority are in Seoul. There are eight mosques in Korea. There is only a small amount of outreach to them and a lack of sufficient experience and knowledge on how to reach them.
c) The 250,000-plus illegal migrants, often working in appalling conditions and for long hours. Bangladesh claims the largest share, but China, Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia, Philippines and Mongolia also weigh in. A number of local churches provide a much-needed and welcome haven of love and assistance to these, in contrast to the coldness they face from Korean society in general.
d) New religionists. There are as many as 300 new religions in South Korea, drawing upon traditional beliefs, Christianity and Buddhism. Chondokyo, with over one million adherents, is a mix of Buddhist, Confucian, shamanistic, Taoist and Catholic practice and belief. New religions are often a reaction to “Western Christianity” in Korean society.
Pray for the Korean diaspora. Waves of emigration and extensive business ventures have multiplied Korean communities around the world to an excess of 6 million, many in the USA. Around 70% of diaspora Koreans were reported to be Christian – many become believers shortly after arriving in their newly adopted land. Their own role in supporting and sending missionaries is formidable. Recently, KODIMNET (Korean Diaspora Missions Network) and the World Korean Diaspora Forum (including Korean Research Institute for Diaspora) were established to support the Korean diaspora’s contribution to cross-cultural missions.
     For an additional 9 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Korea, South.