KJCKorea
Journal Central

Following the declaration of emergency martial law on December 3, 2024, South Korea underwent a turbulent political transition marked by the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, a Constitutional Court ruling upholding the impeachment, and the subsequent election of President Lee Jae-myung. During this period, Korean Protestant churches were increasingly perceived as politically aligned groups, often associated with anti-impeachment rallies or partisan agendas. This study seeks to examine the actual political perceptions within the Korean Protestant community by analyzing survey data gathered in the aftermath of the December 3 crisis. The findings reveal a diverse spectrum of political consciousness and faith-politics typologies among Korean Protestants, challenging monolithic representations. This paper critically engages with the narrative promoted by far-right Christian groups that equate Christianity with liberal democracy, arguing that such a conflation risks subordinating Christian faith to political ideology. Instead, this study proposes that Christian confession of the Kingdom of God does not imply political neutrality or apolitical disengagement, but rather calls for ethical participation in politics grounded in the pursuit of the common good. Consequently, this paper advocates for the development of a theologically informed ethical framework and a concrete ecclesial manual to guide Christian political engagement rooted in public responsibility and the promotion of justice and peace.

Martial Law, Korean Protestantism, Political Perception, Far-Right Christianity, Liberal Democracy. Common Good