St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology (Mar 2023)
Minjung Theology
Abstract
This article explores Christian liberation theology in the Korean context, namely minjungsinhak, literally meaning ‘people’s theology’, discussing its history, characteristics, recent developments, and implications. This article shows how the new theology arose as a theological tradition in the 1970s, committed to the promotion of justice and the stoppage of economic exploitation and political oppression. Korea at the time was undergoing rapid industrialization at the expense of the working poor, while a de facto dictatorial regime harshly suppressed not only political opposition but also any type of labour or student activism. It will be argued that the ideas of minjung – literally meaning ‘the people’ – and han – often translated as sorrow, resentment, bitterness, grief, or regret – are central to Korean liberation theology. Han expresses both personal sorrow and ‘shared suffering’ of Koreans throughout history, for example through continual foreign invasions and occupations, including the exceptionally atrocious Japanese occupation (1910–1945). This article also examines how minjung theology in due time focused on the issue of reunification with North Korea and how it inspired many religiously-motivated social movements that are collectively serving as a major force in struggles for various causes in Korea, including those for human rights, the environment, and gender equality. Lastly, this article reflects on the role of religion in light of minjung theology, arguing that religion can be, and should be, a force of reform and change in society, hence the increasing relevance of the concept of ‘ecclesiastical social responsibility’ (Kim 2018: 12) in contemporary settings.
