In South Korea, all major religions like Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism and Islam exist. In addition, shamanism, the practice where someone interacts with the spirit world, also exists in Korea. According to 2005 statistics, 53% of the Korean population has a religion and in 2008 there were over 510 religious organizations in Korea. Among the existing religions, Buddhism and Confucianism have the most influence on the life of Korean people. Also, over half of the country's listed cultural heritage are related to those two religions. Of the people who have a religion, approximately 43% are Buddhist, 34.5% are Protestants, 20.6% are Catholics and 1.9% are followers of other religions.
Confucianism was established during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Confucianism was more like a system of ethics than religion. It stressed on loyalty, filial piety and other such virtues. It can also be considered to be the source of patriarchy in Korea. Confucianism also values ancestral worship as it is believed that ancestral spirits can affect the lives of the descendants.
Catholicism came to Korea from China through the envoys of the late Joseon era who visited Beijing and the Western priests. However, the early Roman Catholics in Korea were severely persecuted. Protestantism came to Korea during the late 19th century by North American missionaries. It became popular very quickly through school education and medical services.
There are also other religions in Korea. Cheondogyo is formed on the basis of the Eastern Learning (Donghak) of the 19th century. It maintains the doctrine that Man is Heaven, which exerted a strong influence upon the process of modernization in Korea. Daejonggyo was established in the early 20th century to worship Dangun, the founder of the first Korean state. It also affected the life of ordinary Korean people, boosting Korean nationalism. In 1955, there appeared the Islamic Society of Korea and the first Korean Imam, followed by the foundation of the Korean Muslim Federation in 1967. Islam currently has about 60 places of worship across Korea and there are about 100,000 Korean Muslims. In addition to the major religions, shamanism has also played an important part in the daily life of the Korean people, trying to help them connect with the spiritual world and making predictions about their future.
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