Korea Vision Trip: A Reflection on Culture and the Gospel

Visiting Korea was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. It was a special opportunity to reflect on culture and its double-edged nature: culture can become either an idol or the very medium through which we experience God more fully.

As we all know, Korean culture is currently experiencing unprecedented popularity around the world: K-food, K-pop, K-drama, and K-skincare. When in Seoul, it is hard not to enjoy Korean culture. We visited three traditional markets in Seoul: Gwangjang, Myeongdong, and Namdaemun. Each market was distinctly different yet equally enjoyable, offering food that is difficult to find anywhere else. The city's architecture and landscape are a beautiful combination of modern buildings and well-preserved historic structures. Its streets are lined with many of the high-end stores one might find in Europe or the United States, along with the ubiquitous Olive Young skincare stores, which seem to keep everyone's skin so smooth.

Yet, even as we enjoyed these comforts, we could not help but ask ourselves two questions throughout our trip:

1. How did Korea become so blessed, so quickly? In just 70 years, it literally rose from the ashes of war to become one of the most modernized countries in the world.

2. What does the future hold for Korea? This question becomes especially significant in light of the ongoing tensions between North and South Korea and the decline of Christianity.

   
   

People may attribute the remarkable success of the Korean economy and its cultural richness to various factors, such as the Korean people's resilience in the midst of suffering, their ingenuity, and the nation's unique history. These explanations are partially correct. However, our Vision Trip to Korea helped us see that the blessings Korea has experienced as a nation are directly and primarily tied to the introduction of evangelical Christianity at the turn of the twentieth century.

I recently read a book titled Premodern Culture of Chosun and Missionaries (available only in Korean), which makes it clear that Christianity grew so rapidly in Korea because missionaries intentionally sought to transform Korean culture through the gospel. They opened schools for girls, which eventually led to the founding of Ewha Womans University, one of the largest and most distinguished women's universities in the world. They built hospitals, advocated for women's rights, and promoted education—all of these efforts were closely connected to Christian education and the translation of the Bible into Korean.

Korea is a unique case: the Bible was translated into Korean before Protestant missionaries set foot on Korean soil. Many missionaries dedicated their entire lives to transforming Korean culture while also worshiping, teaching, and leading Bible studies.

Simply put, the remarkable growth of Korea's economy and culture was preceded by something even more fundamental: the transformation of the Korean people—their morals, sense of identity, and purpose in life.

But history, both biblical and general, teaches us that when a nation becomes too comfortable with its blessings, it tends to forget the source of those blessings. Therefore, Korea faces a real danger: its cultural blessings, including its economic and technological advancements and rich cultural heritage, may become idols in themselves and ultimately a snare.

Remember what happened at the Tower of Babel. The people were trying to make a name for themselves through their building project. And remember what God did: He scattered them and “confused” their languages. Yet, in His providence, He allowed the resulting nations and ethnic groups to seek Him and find Him, for He is not far from any one of us (Acts 17:26–28). When each nation seeks and finds God within its own history and culture and submits every area of its culture to the lordship of Christ, the result is not merely spiritual transformation but also a flourishing culture that genuinely reflects the beauty and wisdom of God.

Our Korea Vision Trip concluded with a Joint Retreat in Jeju Island, which was, in many ways, a taste of what such a Christ-centered culture could look like. Veritas students from different nations and cultural backgrounds came together to share their diverse experiences of God in their respective cultural settings. In doing so, they magnified both the glory of God and our joy in Him. We caught a glimpse of what Korea could become in the near future.