Park Han-sol reports on Korea's financial regulators, along with fintech and insurance. She previously wrote about the art world, from biennales and exhibitions to fairs and auctions, with a focus on Seoul and the figures shaping the scene. Before joining The Korea Times, she spent a year at ABC News' Seoul bureau, contributing to coverage of major Asia-Pacific events.
INTERVIEW Yoido Full Gospel Church reflects on social mission in today's Korea
Yoido Full Gospel Church Senior Pastor Lee Young-hoon speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the church's office in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, May 17. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Park Han-sol
Senior Pastor Lee Young-hoon discusses global conflicts, Korea's falling birthrate, future of unification
The Russia-Ukraine War has entered its third year of bloodshed, while another deadly conflict rages on in Gaza, already having killed more than 30,000 people and forcibly displacing at least 1.7 million in just over half a year.
Such prolonged destruction poses a direct threat to humanity’s fundamental respect for life and dignity, while taking a disproportionate toll on the most vulnerable — children, women and the elderly — emphasized Rev. Lee Young-hoon.
“I think the real issue is that these conflicts feel like proxy wars, as powerful nations continue to supply weapons to combatant states from behind the scenes,” said the senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest Protestant house of worship in Korea, in a recent interview with The Korea Times.
“These ‘silent supporters’ share joint responsibility for actions that not only disrupt world peace, but also inflict irreparable damage upon innocent lives that deserve unequivocal respect. There can be no justification for war ever. Russia and Israel, they must stop this at all costs.”
Amid such ongoing turmoil, the Christian church’s mission has been to serve those in despair with a much-needed spiritual message of solace and hope, as well as coordinating humanitarian relief efforts through its local missionaries, he added.
A building is reduced to rubble after Israeli bombing campaign at the Al-Daraj neighbourhood in Gaza City, Wednesday, amid the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. AFP-Yonhap
At the same time as its commitment to responding to global crises with conscious outreach to those in need, Yoido Full Gospel Church has been tackling another pressing issue closer to home — Korea’s falling birthrate.
The country’s fertility rate plummeted to an all-time quarterly low of 0.65 in the October-December period of 2023, according to Statistics Korea.
“To put it simply, last year, only 230,000 children were born. Korea’s university enrollment capacity stands at 520,000. This means that in 18 years, over half of these institutions will face closure,” Lee noted.
Despite the government’s expenditure of trillions of won on public campaigns, the actual financial and social benefits for parents raising children still remain elusive, he explained.
Since 2012, the megachurch has provided a total of 5.4 billion won ($3.96 million) in childbirth subsidies to over 5,000 congregants. And starting this year, the amount distributed to each family has doubled: 2 million won for the first newborn, 3 million won for the second, 5 million won for the third and 10 million won for the fourth and onward.
Yoido Full Gospel Church Senior Pastor Lee Young-hoon points to a world map marked with the location of the church's overseas missionary bases, at its office in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, May 17. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
He observed the positive impact of similar benefits on the declining birthrate in Gangjin County, South Jeolla Province. In 2022, the county began providing child care subsidies totaling 5o million won distributed over a period of seven years — equivalent to 600,000 won every month. As a result, the region’s fertility rate jumped from 0.89 in 2022 to 1.47 in just a year.
“Of course, these one-time monetary boosts alone aren’t going to be the panacea,” he said. “Providing financial support must go hand-in-hand with fostering a supportive and inclusive environment that extends well beyond the moments of birth.”
Such a collective culture of child care responsibility must be promoted not just within religious circles, but more importantly, in workplaces, he added.
On the part of churches, Lee proposed that the 60,000 houses of worship scattered nationwide be converted into after-school care centers for toddlers and study cafes for teens during weekdays to alleviate the burden of working parents, particularly those with low incomes.
Senior Pastor Lee Young-hoon delivers a speech during a rally held in Colombia, Oct. 18, 2023. Courtesy of Yoido Full Gospel Church
Meanwhile, Korea, with its current birthrate, stands at a critical juncture. More and more migrant workers are entering its labor market amid the worsening manpower shortage, while the number of multicultural families continues to be on the rise.
As of 2023, approximately 2.51 million foreigners are residing here, accounting for nearly 5 percent of the total population.
To address Korea’s foreseeable future as a multicultural society, Yoido Full Gospel Church launched the Global Elim Foundation in 2022 in charge of aiding the practical settlement of foreign students and residents.
Scholarship and career guidance opportunities are available for international students, while the trauma recovery center offers free counseling in 10 languages. And the Elim Multicultural Center in Seoul’s Mapo District provides emergency and short-term housing.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, oversees a simulated nuclear counterattack drill at an undisclosed location in the country, April 22. Courtesy of North's Korean Central News Agency
Another focus of the church’s aid is placed on some 35,000 North Korean defectors here, whom Lee sees as key players in the potential reunification of the Koreas.
“The most suitable players to help Korea achieve reunification are these escapees who know the lay of the land. Helping them adjust to our society, based on principles from Christian faith, can be crucial,” the pastor remarked.
“The North’s state ideology of ‘juche’ [which justifies the one-man rule under the Kim family] intriguingly shares many commonalities with Christianity — from worshiping the supreme leader as a godlike figure to having their own ideological version of the Ten Commandments. I believe that religion is the fundamental force that can transform North Korea.”
Lee, whose church had been in the process of establishing a cardiovascular treatment hospital in Pyongyang since 2007 until its construction came to an indefinite halt, went on to describe the reclusive regime’s recent string of escalated threats and missile launches directed at its neighbor as “an attempt to make itself seem stronger out of desperation.”
“Pyongyang is becoming more and more cornered. I think its increasingly aggressive stance is ironically reflective of the state of crisis it is in. We must all consciously take note of that when taking future steps toward reunification.”