Following the National Assembly’s passage of the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol on Dec. 14, religious leaders have called on the Korean Church to pray for the stability of South Korea. The impeachment vote came after the president briefly imposed martial law, a move that was widely condemned.
Some church leaders, however, also cautioned that the issues the president raised about the opposition deserve attention. Using their majority in the National Assembly, they imposed severe budget cuts, pursued impeachments of a series of high-ranking officials and made efforts to shield the opposition leader from facing his own legal issues.
The Rev. Jung Seo-young, president of the Christian Council of Korea (CCK), stated, “We must observe the situation calmly and wait for the Constitutional Court’s ruling on President Yoon’s impeachment. Regardless of whether President Yoon is impeached or not, we must pray for the stability of our nation.”
“It is better to pray quietly in our private rooms. The foundation of religious freedom is liberal democracy. Let us pray for the preservation of South Korea’s liberal democracy,” he added.
The Rev. Kwon Soon-woong, president of the Presbyterian Church of Korea Association, emphasized: “The Korean Church must pray. All history is under God’s sovereignty, so we should pray for our nation and society to be established rightly. From the perspective of Presbyterian values, democracy based on the separation of powers must function properly. It is not appropriate for the balance among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches to collapse. According to Calvinism, maintaining proper balance is a core value of democracy.”
He continued: “We need a society where mutual respect and communication thrive. Only then can liberal democracy be upheld. I once saw an advertisement referring to South Korea as the ‘Squid Game nation,’ implying that our society is veering toward a destructive ‘I survive, you perish’ mindset rather than coexistence. This is not the right direction for a true liberal democratic system.”
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“In these challenging times, the Korean Church must act as salt and light. Light represents the prophetic role of presenting biblical values, direction and vision, while salt signifies the priestly role of healing and restoring a nation wounded by division and conflict,” he said.
Jung Sung-gu, former president of Chongshin University, criticized the church’s past shortcomings, saying, “Over the past 50 years, the Korean Church has distanced itself from the Gospel. Pulpits have been filled with sermons focused only on material prosperity rather than preaching justice flowing like a mighty river.”
“Messages from the books of Amos and Habakkuk must be proclaimed boldly from the pulpits,” he urged.
Kim Young-han, professor emeritus at Soongsil University, cautioned against solely blaming President Yoon for the situation.
He said: “The Democratic Party’s actions to cut funding for nuclear energy restoration or drug enforcement were not policies for the people. While President Yoon’s martial law declaration may have been excessive, declaring martial law is within his constitutional powers. Since he lifted it within six hours, it is difficult to classify it as rebellion.”
“For national stability, it is crucial not to frame President Yoon’s martial law as an act of treason. Instead, we must await the Constitutional Court’s judgment on his impeachment.”
Kim also emphasized: “The church must serve as the last bastion of social justice and a refuge that ensures stability for society. Pastors should exemplify righteousness and justice. The church must pray for public officials, judges, and government leaders to govern according to constitutional principles and their conscience under God’s sovereign rule. It is essential to preserve South Korea’s liberal democratic foundation, which ensures freedom of faith.”
The Rev. Won Sung-woong, former superintendent of the Seoul Conference of the Korean Methodist Church, reflected: “Initially, I thought President Yoon’s martial law was a mistake, and I hoped for a political resolution. However, based on his statements and actions, his declaration of martial law seems to have been aimed at addressing the Democratic Party’s budget cuts and investigating allegations of election fraud. It appears to be an exercise of constitutional emergency powers rather than treason.”
“The Korean Church must pray for God’s will to be fulfilled in this nation. God’s way will be opened.”
