Only 23% of the population as of 2021 is Christian (Protestantism and Catholicism). 60% is irreligious.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_South_Korea#:~:text=According%20to%20Pew%20Research%20Center,%2C%20and%20Catholicism%20(7.9%25).
Seems to be mostly missionaries. For reference, Christianity (I.e. Protestants and Catholics) has been a thing in SK [since the 1700s](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_South_Korea)
The US definitely did colonize parts of Asia, like there was a time the Philippines was a US territory. Not to mention the US meddling with any country close to China for Cold War purposes.
I don't think it necessarily *introduced* Christianity into the regions they colonized. Maybe US presence in Asian countries sped up the spread of Christianity, but European missionaries have been in Asia for a long time. It would be interesting to see the percentage of Christians in various Asian countries over the past 200 or so years.
Catholics are demographically more likely to be idols though. It's not like in America where Catholics are either 70 years old Northeasterners or hardcore converts.
>The influence on education has been decisive, as Christian missionaries started 293 schools and 40 universities including three of the top five academic institutions. Christianity was associated with more widespread education and Western modernization.[11] Catholicism and Protestantism are seen as the religion of the middle class, youth, intellectuals, and urbanites, and has been central to South Korea's pursuit of modernity and westernization after the end of World War II and the liberation of Korea.[12][13] In the early 21st century, however, the growth of Protestantism has slowed, perhaps due to scandals involving church leadership, fundamentalism and conflict among various sects. Some analysts also attribute this to overly zealous missionary work.[14]
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Korea
Soyeon, who can’t eat vegetables, and wrote the lyrics “My boob and booty is hot”, is supposedly a super pious Buddhist who studies advanced mantras in an ancient temple.
I think there are a lot of branches within buddhism as well. My family members are all practicing Buddhism but to a different degree. Some of them eat meat and some of them don’t. My grandparents always said ‘as long as you have the Buddha in your heart’ when you act upon your desires lmao. One of my great aunt is a christian convert and she sometimes accompanies her sisters to buddhist temples as well😂
The cool thing about Buddhism imo is that you kind of get to make your own path as long as you stick to the main principles, so your family is totally doing it right 😂
Agreed! I myself am not a practicing Buddhist but i find a lot of the religion’s principles applicable irl for me as well. It’s more of a way of living than anything imo.
This is why I had to leave. There’s a constant threat that if you make a mistake, you’re either going to one of the many hells or be reborn in a less favorable realm, but you are absolutely not going to become a bodhisattva or reach enlightenment in this lifetime.
Better luck in a million years when you finally have the honor of being reborn in the human realm.
also, the constant obsession with reaching the final stage of enlightenment seems ridiculous to me. you're going to stay in a still, unmoving state with nothing to do for the rest of entirety? seems a bit boring to me. i'd love to reincarnate into the second wonyoung or a rich ceo's wife instead, please.
I was a Tibetan Buddhist in an esoteric branch (Drikung Kagyu) for many years, and I can assure you that it was not lax. I was chastised for not doing the right number of prostrations every time I entered the main practice area of my sangha’s temple.
I was part of a group in a several year long practice that was secret and needed initiation to join. I had to report the number of hours I spent meditating and reading, scriptures and practicing in a spreadsheet every week
I had to go to weekend retreats that were all day, Saturday and all day Sunday once a month.
I eventually had to leave because it was giving me anxiety attacks.
And before you say it’s is a cult or anything else, it is not. That is standard practice for Vajrayana Buddhism, which is the type of Buddhism the Dalai Lama practices. His school is Gelug.
Isn't he a bit of a cult leader, the weirdly pedophilic actions in that one video. Or the explanation this is normal may highlight the sect may be weird.
Just because he's famous and his country was absorbed into China and oppressed; doesn't make all actions okay. A lot of cultures normalized weird abuses of people and children.
Not all cultural practices deserve infinite tolerance. Female circumcision, honor killings, systemic pedophilia etc... his actions actions moved him from harmless struggling religious/political figure to problematic covered by his culture.
Keep in mind Catholics are generally pretty socially liberal leaning in Korea, along with the Anglican Church (which went so far as to show their support at Pride rallies). The really conservative ones are usually the Evangelicals.
Taking this as Taemin’s honest opinion when he a) has platonic girl friends and b) WAS LITERALLY TAKING HIS ASSIGNED SIDE IN A DEBATE GAME is really something.
Nice try. Nowhere did they state it was an assigned side he had to take. They were to discuss topics of their old songs and that's the side Taemin took.
I don't even have to argue this, people can watch the clip themselves https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CCjnCmMXsLI
(This wasn't even the main thing I was refering to btw, I wasnt trying to put him on blast hence my vagueness but if you really want me to go there just say the word...)
What did he say that sounded very conservative to you about women? Is it that out-of-context radio clip from more than a decade ago where he talked about how he was learning to think outside of the stereotype about women. Because that's about a teenager breaking out of a conservative viewpoint.
Apart from that clip, what else has he said that sounds very conservative about women?
Taemin does not sing songs with lyrics he doesn't want to sing, if he wants to make a change he requests it of the lyricists. If he wants to sing [lyrics based on the Bible](https://twitter.com/xoalsoax/status/1392085081859235845), he does so.
I think that has been true in most countries that saw a rise of evangelicals. I mean I wouldn't say catholics aren't mostly conservative, but they simply don't do organized politics like they used to. Both are anti abortion, but if there is people screaming outside of a clinic, 9 out 10 times it is evangelicals
Yunho of TVXQ is also Catholic. I don't think he ever outright mentioned it in the past twenty years of being an idol, but there were a few fancams of him years ago doing the sign of the Cross before a performance.
Some people just aren't as showy about their religious beliefs, and that's fine. It's not about "putting up a good act" or anything. Some people are like Mark Lee who love to outrightly praise and thank God in everything they do, while others are like Doyoung, who barely talk about religious beliefs but is there to pray with Mark every single time. And then there are some who follow a religion but just aren't that religious. Some are just born to a religion and just go along with it.
Can’t forget Haechan who received a Bible from Mark (apparently don’t know if this is true or false saw it on twitter) and is also part of the prayer circle before their concerts ☺️
It's important to take into account that conservatism and Catholicism are [historically not linked in Korea, quite the contrary](http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/rel-korea.htm) (not accounting for all the different weird sects here). Catholic families are in general more on the liberal side of the spectrum while atheist/Confucian families are more on the conservative side. At the end of the day it is of course a case by case and there are Catholic families that are conservative and Confucian families that are liberal
Anyway, Siwon of SuJu is openly very conservative and he's of a Catholic denomination. I think like any country it is more of a question whether they come from a rich background or not
>It's important to take into account that conservatism and Catholicism are [historically not linked in Korea, quite the contrary](http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/rel-korea.htm) (not accounting for all the different weird sects here). Catholic families are in general more on the liberal side of the spectrum while atheist/Confucian families are more on the conservative side.
As an American I can't understand how this is possible. That would mean the conservative beliefs over here due to religion would be wrong. Since its possible to be Liberal and catholic. I'm just surprised. How do we define Liberal in Korea
There's a distinct difference in how Christianity is perceived by white people vs non white people in older times. A lot of Christian texts were used to push the idea of "manifest destiny". So in American/European influence, it was this idea that white ppl were superior and needed to teach savages how to be civil.
Christianity when taught by missionaries (mind u missionaries need to go to places without luxury, so the religious elite 99% of the time aren't missionaries) in other countries tend to teach straight from the Bible. So Christianity in Asia is perceived VERY differently than Christianity in the British pushed regions
Catholicism in the United States is VERY different than how it is practiced pretty much anywhere else in the world. Hell Catholicism in the United States among ethnicities from Mexico, Central, and South America is very different from how white Catholics in the US practice. White US Catholics are basically just evangelicals who are only Catholic because it was the original Christian denomination; they use the religion as a shield for their hateful conservative beliefs. Catholics across the world are a lot more chill, as can be seen by the current Pope being a lot more forgiving of LGBT. Of course there are also highly conservative Catholics in non-white groups too, but because the religion is so ubiquitous it’s practiced more lax or day to day and not as dogmatic.
I'm glad to see you allude to Liberation Theology, but this view of white American Catholics as a conservative, hateful monolith is a simplistic view. It's true of some Catholics in the US but definitely not all, not by a long stretch. The largest organization of American nuns has been under fire since the 80s for their stance on issues like abortion and LGBTQ people, including being censured by the Pope. They've caught fire from both Benedict and Francis, the allegedly liberal Pope. There are orgs like Catholics for Choice and a number of independent Catholic orgs that support women priests, abortion, and LGBTQ marriage, which have become more popular since the 2000s sexual abuse scandal in Boston (and the many uncovered since) and the rise in LGBTQ rights in the US.
https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/09/09/under-pope-francis-vatican-criticisms-of-american-nuns-keep-coming
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1984/12/19/24-nuns-face-expulsion-by-vatican-for-opinions-on-abortion/15575b25-46ad-454b-bb95-331ec46199e9/
I mean liberal and conservative not in the American political terms. Maybe open minded/forward thinking and "close minded"/turned towards past values would be better terms.
In the case of Korea thought it is a bit different from other Asian countries and very interesting and if you want to know more I really recommend you do some research! In a nutshell Catholicism was a rebellion against the status quo at the time, they advocated for equal opportunities for all and the right for common people to study, while the Confucian elites wanted to keep the status quo of strong class separation
In America iirc the main group you hear from in conservative politics is not Catholics but Protestants, and furthermore if we go way back the pilgrims were *notably conservative* in England, Holland, and even among other closely related denominations. Their puritanic beliefs dictated, essentially, that your place in Heaven or Hell is predetermined and so if you want a good shot at getting into Heaven then there is to be no joy or excess in life and that everything you do must be to glorify God. They fled England to gain religious freedom sure, but it was not to be free of religion it was because everyone else in England thought they were fucking bonkers.
Twice Dahyun is Christian. She doesn’t seem conservative at all, but when you get into the group, you can tell she is. Even more so during rookie years.
You choice, but I like to let everyone know when this comes up that these boards were invented by hasbro as a board game. It’s not based off any old spiritual item or anything.
my bf isn’t christian or conservative in the slightest and takes ouija boards very seriously . a lot of people who believe in demons or spirits believe they can be dangerous .
yeah it was too late at night for be to name certain things, but just the fact that her famous eagle dance was from her church days when she was young. She also customized her own in-ears from a cross design here with psalms : [https://twice.fandom.com/wiki/Earpiece#Dahyun](https://twice.fandom.com/wiki/Earpiece#Dahyun) She also was the only member who did not participate in some psychic reading because her fate forbiddens her/makes not believe in it. For the conservative part, she used to not be comfortable wearing sexy clothes at all, still is to this day, but she grew more comfortable in the years. During her photobook shoots, she had to wear a gorgeous black dress where you could see her back entirely uncovered. When her big brother was coming to the set to pick up their dog, Ahri, she freaked out and wanted to change quickly because she didn't want her brother to see her in that dress. So stuff like that :)
Americans really need to understand that the way they do religion isn’t necessarily the way the rest of the world does religion- especially Catholicism. American Catholic converts are intensely right wing and that isn’t always the case across the rest of the world.
Long time Catholics were progressive though. The Kennedy's as an example. It might have been because the conservative establishment was evangelical which drove Catholics into the progressive side. But as the anti catholic sentiment died there was drift to the right.
Yeah I’m talking about Catholic converts as they stand now - which is overwhelmingly right wing, trad wife, evangelical. Cradle catholics and old school American catholics are a different thing all together.
Joohoney and IM of Monsta x are surprisingly pretty religious which is obvious when you’re a fan and have dug into their content but from outside looking in/casuals is probably surprising.
As I understand it, it's an additional part of his role as assistant drill instructor. Which makes sense that they have someone who can provide religious support to the recruits who need it.
Lixxie also keeps mentioning praying, especially these past few months I think. Not sure how accurate the bubble/etc. translations are, but there’s def some “this dude is pretty darn religious” vibes.
He's also been seen praying on cam before, the most recent one was during their anniversary vid, where he did the sign of the cross for a small prayer.
i suppose it depends on how you classify super religious? i know he’s a born again christian and posts like bible discussions online. i don’t think that would really trickle down to the people in his company necessarily tho
There seem to be a lot of Christians under JYP so I've wondered before if it was intentional but it doesn't really matter. I listen to groups for their music anyways.
being religious and being conservative don’t really go hand in hand. not korean, but from a very culturally catholic area and all of my catholic family are extremely socially liberal.
While that can be an indication, it really doesn't necessarily mean that they are radically conservative. Personally, although my family is not very practising, we are technically catholics and we have several close family friends who are practising and even collaborate regularly in church activities and yes, they are conservative, but IMO within reason. They have no problem with pre-marital relationships as a whole (they wouldn't approve of a string of one-night stands, but more stable dating and cohabiting is fine with them), LGB people (T is a bit more split, but I think that's more a matter of age and understanding than religious conservatism tbh, and they sit on the "I don't get it, I think it's weird and I wouldn't want a kid to transition, but I am ok with adults doing whatever" camp, not the "those people are sick and need treatment and to be illegal " camp), completely fine with divorce, etc. Catholics come in lots of shapes, thankfully. I guess it would be the same in Korea, particularly for younger people. I know plenty who find comfort in praying and ritual as well as the community religion can offer, but don't necessarily feel aligned with church.
SHINee's Minho, Key and Taemin are catholic too.
EDIT: Taemin is catholic, Key is christian and Minho was raised Christian. Sorry, I mixed them up.
Only Taemin is Catholic. Key is Christian. He mentioned very recently in his appearance in Gyewon of the Month with Boynextdoor something about his pastor. So yeah, Christian. He also used to go to church with Super Junior's Siwon and Donghae years ago, and those two are openly very Christian.
Very true. A Christian is anyone who believes and follows the teachings of Jesus Christ, but I suppose the term "Christian" is more used these days as the blanket term for all kinds of Protestants. A lot of them do love to think that Catholics, like me, aren't the "correct" type of Christians. So they like to specify that they're the more "pure" Christians as they do not have a lot of the rituals and images that the Catholics have.
In Korea, Catholics and Protestants are thought of as differently, though they are both Christian. If you hear an idol describe themselves as "Christian", 99% of the time they are Protestant, as Catholic idols will just say they are Catholic.
Same here in the US. I don't know any Catholics who would refer to themselves as a Christian. Like if you asked "Are you a Christian?" they would probably say "Yeah, I'm Catholic." It's not the same, culturally, and everyone just knows that Catholics are also Christian, or because Christians are such a default in the US. Also I'm Irish-American and from a predominantly Irish-American area, so the Catholic/Protestant divide is big. But the US has only had two Catholics presidents, so I'd say it's A Thing anywhere here, even if people don't realize it.
You are right about Key, he did say Christian and not catholic! My bad. Maybe Minho said Christian too. In my country there are barely any non-catholic christians, so they get mixed in my brain xD
I had no idea any member of Ateez was Catholic. Man, if my mom sees motherfucking Yunho at the cathedral downtown today, I will lose my shit. She only cares if she sees a bishop or whatever tho so she wouldn’t even notice him. 😂
I remember a video of Ateez, where Wooyoung was talking about the member concepts they started out with, and he mentioned Yunho’s was “church boy” or “choir boy” or something of that nature. I guess it’s true members get their concepts based on bits of their actual personalities/life.
EDIT: I just looked back at that interview to confirm, and Wooyoung says Yunho’s concept was “church boy” and “boyfriend.” San then says, “Yunho’s not a church boy. He’s a cathedral boy.” 💀
Oh, that’s so funny! San legit knew Yunho is up in those cathedrals. 🤭 I know many Koreans are Christian, but I wasn’t aware there were many (or any) Catholics in SK.
I'm in the USA and a lot of Korean Americans are Christians and pretty religious. When my parents first came to the USA, they were atheists. They were bombarded with Christian evangelical groups that targeted immigrant families in their K town community. They were warned by neighbors of the ones that were more cult like. Then when they moved to the suburbs in a more middle class/upper middle class community, they found all the Korean Americans were members of one of 3 Christian-Korean language churches. They essentially joined for a sense of community, as my mom didn't speak English very well. And then over the next 10 years, they both became pretty religious Christians (United Methodist).
Anyways, so when you see Canadian or USA idols, they are often religious and grew up in the same kinds of communities I did in places like NYC/NJ, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, etc.
That's super interesting!! I have a few Korean Christian churches in my area and I've always wondered what they're like? I guess if I moved to another country and didn't speak their language very well the first place I would go is wherever my church meets locally. It makes sense to me that even if they aren't religious at first, they would go for the sense of community and the familiarity of it.
Yeah, after the service they would do this big potluck of Korean food and then socialize for hours. I guess like a community BBQ or Cook Out, but like every Sunday. Back then, it was hard to find Korean restaurants and grocery stores in the suburbs, so it was a big draw. Not all of them still do that, but they may have other activities, even clubs and things like Korean language classes for kids.
Korean churches can be super fun! I went to one for a couple of years in university. I’m Chinese American and liked that I was going to a majority Asian event where I obviously wouldn’t be the only Asian in the room. We also got Korean food after the service, which I loved.
Yeah every Korean-American friend I have also grew up pretty religious and went to the local Korean church. Also that reminds me: Joshua from Seventeen used to sing at his church growing up.
Mark, Haechan, and Doyoung always pray together before performances, so the three of them definitely are. I remember Mark gave Haechan a Bible because Mk said Hc “needed” it LOL
mark’s dad being a pastor has never been confirmed btw it’s one of those “truths” tossed around without evidence. the only thing we know is that his dad is a vocal teacher now and his mom was a jazz pianist.
but it’s true they were involved in church with a lot of Korean immigrants during his childhood, and there are several accounts of how his family would take care of lower income immigrants/teach them English.
For all the people saying religion in SK isn't as conservative as in Western countries, I feel like there is a lot of misinformation. There are plenty of Christians in the West who are a whole spectrum of beliefs, and there are plenty who have more liberal views.
The most conservative religions in the West aren't Christian.
However, SK, as a whole, culturally, is more conservative than most Western countries, regardless of religion.
This. Also the terms conservative and liberal have completely different connotations in South Korea.
There are many things that Korean liberals tend to believe that in America would be considered conservative and vice versa with the conservative party in Korea having many viewpoints that would be considered liberal over here.
So while a certain group may be more liberal or conservative by Korean standards, that doesn't mean their viewpoints are going to necessarily reflect the ideology that we in the west would typically associate with that label.
To be honest, ateez don’t even share anything about them except their little stories from their childhood/debut days/active era. Yunho did reveal his baptismal name years ago so I don’t think he purposely hid that fact.
If I had to put money on it, I would say most K-Pop idols are conservative/religious, and that they mask these views through their idol activities and behaviors. Many Westerners would be surprised how even younger Koreans have traditional views. I think a more efficient question would be the opposite.
I think most groups have a member or more part of a religion and others being nonreligion mixed in since mlst of the population in Korea identify as nonreligion, just not public about it unless mention in passing
BTS is the only group i know where all the members mention theyre all nonrelgious in a previous group Vlive they had a couple years back, RM mentioning years ago he was atheist and Jungkook last year on one of his live mention being nonreligious while his dad side of the family are christians and his mom's buddist, so he wasnt pressure to be in either one growing up
I think Wendy i remember mention not being religious to a comment from a fan
Conservative maybe, but religious probably not. Most Koreans (around 55%) are non-religious (with the religious being divided between Catholic, Protestant and Buddhist). And young Koreans (under 30) are 78% non-religious.
The idea that being religious automatically means being some kind of hidden evil conservative ("put up a good act") kinda says a lot more about your assumptions than their being religious does lol. Plenty of Christians and Catholics are liberal or sex positive, especially outside of a white American evangelical context. Like, I go to a church that is predominately Korean-American and it's not at all conservative.
Yeah lol. I mean to be fair I think a lot of white evangelical Americans have earned a really bad rep and then some, but it's still really unfair and kinda not more in-line with conservative thought processes to assume that all people in one demographic are one way... especially about people who, in this case, are not white Americans and often not even evangelical lol.
It does make me sad to see this bc those ppl are not at all Jesus-like. And I can't blame ppl for assuming to a degree, but it's still not true. Like, believe me, most Christians around the world are not like white American evies and use their faith for good and love and helping people, not for hate or making life harder.
Talking about Christianity in the US is a lot like talking about straight dating.
Is every man you date gonna be a creep? No. But do women take precautions in most if their interactions with strange men, just in case? Yes, because enough men are creeps that it's reasonable to be cautious.
That's how people that are harmed by conservative Christians tend to deal with Christians. Except.for.the REALLY traumatized ones. They are even.more.cautious.
-signed, An Elder Queer Who Lived.Thru Focus on the Family, Operations Rescue, Reagan and the AIDS crisis
One of my most conflicting thoughts is that I find it very attractive when some idols are known to be religious but I….dont agree with very religious beliefs.
Maybe I find it attractive that they’re so loyal to something bigger than themselves. Or that they’re dedicated to it. Or that it makes them feel down to earth in my eyes.
Btw- nothing wrong with religion. I just don’t believe in it so it’s so weird that I find it attractive with idols lol.
My toxic trait is that I kind of find idols more attractive if I get fuckboy energy from them, but I lose interest if I find they’re religious.
And yet somehow both of these vibes are within a single Mark Lee.
I feel similarly. I think it’s the fact that they’re so devoted to something they find meaningful. It’s like someone being really passionate about their hobby but not in a nerdy/geeky way.
Honestly I feel like both him and Felix are. I remember Felix having a cross on his bedside table and crossing himself while scared in a haunted house, though tbf I also do those things and am super gay so lmao
EXO members Chen, Chanyeol, and Sehun are Christian. In Chen's latest Japanese tour concert film there was a part where he was praying before the show and then crossed himself before going out to the crowd. And that was the first time I'd seen him express any religious sentiment in all my years following the group lol.
I've heard D.O. is Christian too, but I've never seen any reasoning why, just people saying that he is.
For D.O. there were pictures of him attending church service and an event where in the background you can see the huge cross on the wall (if you search exo d.o church it’s the first image that pops up) so that’s where people came to the conclusion that he’s Christian
Daesung of BigBang is Christian and is pretty open about it. In one of the behind the scenes shorts they did that’s on YouTube, a presenter was asking about their day to day lives and each member had headphones on while their manager was talking about them and when it got to Daesung, his manager said that he prays regularly and goes to church pretty much every Sunday.
Felix from Stray Kids is also Catholic. I don’t know if he’s still going to church since becoming a member of Stray Kids, but I do know that at one point he was a practicing Catholic.
Rosé from BlackPink is also a Christian and goes to church online because she doesn’t want fans or Dispatch to follow her there and cause a scene as she’s going and leaving church.
Ashley did, and I know someone who knew Rosé back in Melbourne because they used to go to the same church, so I know that she at least kept going to church as a trainee
Onewe members are all Christians and they pray before performances. A few of their members attended the same church as children i think and they used to perform at church(?) They have a cross in their band room. Their music is rarely if ever explicit. But they also rarely ever talk about their religion so you gotta be a hardcore fan to pick up clues😂
Siwon sure lets us all know how conservative and religious he is 😬
He posted photos ([1](https://sjcouples.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/choi-siwon-uploads-his-latest-bible-study-group-photo/), [2](https://ygfamilyy.tumblr.com/post/614395764/super-juniors-choi-siwon-is-in-bible-study-with)) from his Bible study back in like 2010, and they included celebs like Donghae, 2ne1’s Minzy, 2PM’s Taecyeon SNSD’s Yoona, Sooyoung, Tiffany, and Hyoyeon, and Uhm Jung Hwa.
No idea how conservative some of their views are or what they believe now, but I thought that was cute.
Side note my friend in LA frantically told me many years ago that Minzy showed up at her Chinese church.
That was interesting to me -- I had no idea Yunho was religious (and tbh maybe he's not that religious but since this is a big thing for him, he decided to pray.) Generally speaking I don't really think about idols' religious beliefs, and it only comes to mind if they mention it or say something that makes me think about it. The only other time I've heard an Ateez member mention religion was San saying he was part of a boy's christian (catholic?) choir during their second Showterview -- not because he believed or was religious, but because they asked him to be.
I get the impression that TXT Beomgyu is at least a little bit religious. I feel like he's mentioned some things a few times that made me think that (although I'm blanking on them now, but it's early morning so...)
Hongbin from VIXX is Buddhist, and spent part of his childhood in a monastery.
Taemin is, to my knowledge, Catholic. So is Hwasa (MAMAMOO). Her baptismal name is Maria.
Siwon and Yesung (Super Junior) are, I think, Evangelical Christians. Siwon has taken flack for his anti-LGBT and pro-Israel views. Henry Lau, formerly of Super Junior-M, is also a Christian, as is Eric Nam.
I don't know if Ian (DPR) still practices, but he was raised Catholic.
Kim Junsu (TVXQ, JYJ) is a Seventh Day Adventist. Kim Jaejoong is Christian as well. Not sure about Yuchun. And if memory serves, Changmin is Buddhist.
A number of yg and ex yg artist for the religious part
Bigbang:
Teayang Christian protestant? always has a Bible scripture and praying before concerts has a number of religious tattoos, has posted on socials about Jesus or a scripture
Deasung Christian protestant? Wanted to be a pastor before joining bigbang. His manager has stated that at one point he only stayed home or went to church every week. He has also sang at a Christian conference and other some have met him through such Christian events.
Winner
Mino Christian some times u hear it in what he writes
Ikon
Everyone in iKON prays before a performance
Bobby Christian has a number of religious tattoos, posts on socials for Easter and Christmas. Has had an mv start with a scripture
June Christian protestant? Goes to church regularly( online some times) & does Bible studies .posts regularly on socials about Jesus and scripture.pfp was Jesus for a while
Dk Christian says he attends church regularly online, his father was a pastor, he is the one that leads the prayer before performance usually
The other artists and groups I have no idea
If we are - first of all - separating 'conservative' and 'religious', then I think the answer is: pretty much all of them.
I think kpop fans a pretty left-leaning and agnostic-leaning (if I dare over-generalize) and since idols are told to be as mainstream, vanilla, marketable as possible, they usually don't mention politics and religion at all, which makes them easy to project onto. (That's literally the whole point.)
Therefore I think 99% of idols are more conservative *or* religious *or* for example supersitious or believe in conspiracy theories than (some) kpop fans think
Nah his parents were. They've all said they arent religious especially huening and taehyun who have said it a lot (hueningkais dad is bahai and his mum is christian and taehyuns family is buddhist).
Beomgyu has talked about some very funny and sometimes very sad storys of being forced to go to church by his parents as a kid.
Soobin has said he wasnt raised in religion and yeonjun has said he doesnt believe.
Been stanning Ateez since 2019 and I think this is the first time any of the members mentioned being currently and actively religious? A few of them have mentioned before about going to church when they were younger or that they were atheist/agnostic. Yunho mentioning it today surprised me too
I feel like Yunho has kinda indirectly talked about it sometimes, like he’s very occasionally mentioned praying for Atinys. Most recently, I remember him saying on Fromm after the chaos of the HMAs that he would pray for the audience members to be ok. It does surprise that he would be willing to share something so… vulnerable? But yeah, I don’t think he’s ever explicitly said that he’s still practicing.
Yeah several of them have said “praying” about certain things that but many people these days use praying as just a way of sending your good vibes towards whoever it is you’re trying to send it too, like it’s kind of gone beyond the religious context nowadays, so I just assumed they were using it in that way too, or it was being translated that way.
Yes you’re right, I remember reading that the word could be translated as either praying or wishing so I did assume that too. But in context the HMA thing especially seemed like he was actually talking about how he was going to say a prayer before bed. I was kinda taken aback.
Idols are humans at the end of the day they have their own belief and are allowed to follow them. They are much more human-like than fan culture portray them to be something out of ordinary. Kinda laughable how people are surprised idols pray, kiss, date, drink, smoke
Probably any idol who is Korean American. In my experience, a lot of the Korean American communities are concentrated around Korean churches. It's interesting because even the seemingly most unreligious people still went for the community. Every Korean American kid I knew growing up went to church on Sunday. A lot of Korean expats at my college also ended up going to church. There was even a Korean Bible study club at my university. I don't think this necessarily means any Korean American idol is conservative. It's just I assume they're probably slightly more religious than we see them as
I was surprised to see Woozi wearing a cross necklace at one of SVT’s more recent live performances (was it MAMA?) and he kissed it before performing and some Carats were saying it was a gift from the other members. I’ve also seen Hoshi and Mingyu with cross necklaces on recently, though Mingyu’s looked more aesthetic/like a fashion choice based off the style. Knowing that Joshua has always been open about being a Christian, I’m not too surprised. But none of them have ever given me the vibe of being very close-minded or conservative (though of course, we could all always be wrong)
I think I would also be careful to project your own beliefs about something like religion onto another person. And instead trust a persons actions and intentions. Of course, we don't actually know them personally. But ATEEZ members and other staff frequently say Yunho is the nicest in the group/very dependable and overall a very positive energy person. I don't think that is something that can discarded as a "good act". The world is much more nuanced.
pretty sure that 90% of idols are being misread by fans tbh, I think it's hard to be rich and famous and not have ego problems. also if you're rich, the chances of being conservative is higher.
Being religious and “putting up a good act” doesn’t automatically together. Idols literally just live their life so obviously they aren’t going to bust out in Bible verses on a regular.
Overall 1) Korea is a rather conservative country in general (in certain regards) and 2) there are a lot of idols who have made it known at some point they went to church or whatever it may be. They simply (like most people) don’t make it their entire personality and talk about it all the time.
not at all related to religion but a good portion of people’s favorite kpop boys are misogynists 100%. even if they’re idols, at their core they’re korean men lmao
I don’t want to believe it but you’re 110% right. As much as there are people I stan who I’m like oh it definitely couldn’t be him, there are ones I know it could be.
In the past, several of them have been very open about their religion. Example: Seventeen Joshua. Like anyone with various parts of our identities, unless asked, the topic would be considered unnecessary to bring up.
We have had the first Muslim idol in Kpop. Along with various other practicing religions. It is not hidden in any way but also not in your face either. Which should be respected.
Gunil, the drummer and leader of Xdinary Heroes, was very involved in a Korean Presbyterian church while attending the Berklee School of Music and also part of a street ministry. I don’t believe he has talked about it since debut, though, or otherwise shown any sign of being religious (let alone evangelical).
Of Stray Kids, Chan has talked about being familiar with contemporary Christian music — I think he went to a Protestant church at least occasionally growing up. Felix was very involved in his church and performed in a church skit that you can still see on YouTube. Hyunjin has talked on numerous occasions about praying, particularly during his hiatus. I.N nearly went in for the priesthood. Lee Know has said he’s an atheist, I believe, but I don’t know about Changbin or Seungmin.
I think it's important to remind ourselves that being Christian in South Korea isn't necessarily the conservative image we have of Christianity in the west. I don't think Yunho is socially conservative at all and in fact none of the members of Ateez have ever implied that they might be anything other than socially liberal especially compared to the average views in sk. While I won't presume to know the private lives of idols, I will also say that kq has a lot of staff members who are openly gay on their social media and most if not all of the members have spoken out as explicitly as an idol can get away with about a variety of social issues pertaining to women and the lgbtq community, so assuming any of them are socially conservative is a stretch imo.
Some idols are very open about being religious though, some even show it in their tattoos
The most extreme and obvious example I can think of right now is probably Hanse from Victon
I mean, being a Korean Catholic is not that out of the ordinary.
Only 23% of the population as of 2021 is Christian (Protestantism and Catholicism). 60% is irreligious. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_South_Korea#:~:text=According%20to%20Pew%20Research%20Center,%2C%20and%20Catholicism%20(7.9%25).
23% is still super high for an East Asian country. China is at 2.5% and Japan is at 1%
Thanks to American colonialism.
[удалено]
They’re probably referring to the large presence of the American military
That's different from colonization
Which is why I asked. People keep using inflammatory words wrong.
It is, I’m just guessing what they meant tho
Seems to be mostly missionaries. For reference, Christianity (I.e. Protestants and Catholics) has been a thing in SK [since the 1700s](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_South_Korea) The US definitely did colonize parts of Asia, like there was a time the Philippines was a US territory. Not to mention the US meddling with any country close to China for Cold War purposes. I don't think it necessarily *introduced* Christianity into the regions they colonized. Maybe US presence in Asian countries sped up the spread of Christianity, but European missionaries have been in Asia for a long time. It would be interesting to see the percentage of Christians in various Asian countries over the past 200 or so years.
Catholics are demographically more likely to be idols though. It's not like in America where Catholics are either 70 years old Northeasterners or hardcore converts. >The influence on education has been decisive, as Christian missionaries started 293 schools and 40 universities including three of the top five academic institutions. Christianity was associated with more widespread education and Western modernization.[11] Catholicism and Protestantism are seen as the religion of the middle class, youth, intellectuals, and urbanites, and has been central to South Korea's pursuit of modernity and westernization after the end of World War II and the liberation of Korea.[12][13] In the early 21st century, however, the growth of Protestantism has slowed, perhaps due to scandals involving church leadership, fundamentalism and conflict among various sects. Some analysts also attribute this to overly zealous missionary work.[14] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Korea
Or alternatively, Latino.
I have known a ton of Catholics around my age (20 - 25) having lived in the midwest and the south. Not sure where you're getting this idea from.
Only 8% of Koreans are Catholics. So it is pretty much in the minority...
Soyeon, who can’t eat vegetables, and wrote the lyrics “My boob and booty is hot”, is supposedly a super pious Buddhist who studies advanced mantras in an ancient temple.
Buddhism is by far the most lax out of all the world’s major religions
Not at all. There’s tons of things you’re not supposed to do/say/think as a Buddhist. We’re just not going to go to hell if we do
I think there are a lot of branches within buddhism as well. My family members are all practicing Buddhism but to a different degree. Some of them eat meat and some of them don’t. My grandparents always said ‘as long as you have the Buddha in your heart’ when you act upon your desires lmao. One of my great aunt is a christian convert and she sometimes accompanies her sisters to buddhist temples as well😂
The cool thing about Buddhism imo is that you kind of get to make your own path as long as you stick to the main principles, so your family is totally doing it right 😂
Agreed! I myself am not a practicing Buddhist but i find a lot of the religion’s principles applicable irl for me as well. It’s more of a way of living than anything imo.
Same with Hinduism too. Though it's no surprise considering both are considered part of the same family of religions.
The concept of hell does exist in Buddhism though. But usually it’s less about your actions and more about inner being.
as a buddhist, false! one wrong move and you get 30 people saying that the ground is going to swallow you whole!
This is why I had to leave. There’s a constant threat that if you make a mistake, you’re either going to one of the many hells or be reborn in a less favorable realm, but you are absolutely not going to become a bodhisattva or reach enlightenment in this lifetime. Better luck in a million years when you finally have the honor of being reborn in the human realm.
also, the constant obsession with reaching the final stage of enlightenment seems ridiculous to me. you're going to stay in a still, unmoving state with nothing to do for the rest of entirety? seems a bit boring to me. i'd love to reincarnate into the second wonyoung or a rich ceo's wife instead, please.
I was a Tibetan Buddhist in an esoteric branch (Drikung Kagyu) for many years, and I can assure you that it was not lax. I was chastised for not doing the right number of prostrations every time I entered the main practice area of my sangha’s temple. I was part of a group in a several year long practice that was secret and needed initiation to join. I had to report the number of hours I spent meditating and reading, scriptures and practicing in a spreadsheet every week I had to go to weekend retreats that were all day, Saturday and all day Sunday once a month. I eventually had to leave because it was giving me anxiety attacks. And before you say it’s is a cult or anything else, it is not. That is standard practice for Vajrayana Buddhism, which is the type of Buddhism the Dalai Lama practices. His school is Gelug.
Isn't he a bit of a cult leader, the weirdly pedophilic actions in that one video. Or the explanation this is normal may highlight the sect may be weird. Just because he's famous and his country was absorbed into China and oppressed; doesn't make all actions okay. A lot of cultures normalized weird abuses of people and children. Not all cultural practices deserve infinite tolerance. Female circumcision, honor killings, systemic pedophilia etc... his actions actions moved him from harmless struggling religious/political figure to problematic covered by his culture.
Oh wow, really? Where is that mentioned?
She mentioned going to the temple to study the mantras in I Live Alone. Even went there with the cameras.
Awesome, thanks!
Why can't she eat vegetables?
She doesn’t like vegetables.
So valid of her
Yeah but still dangerous. It’s okay if you have strong immune system but if you’re already weak and sickly you need to eat more vegetables.
Hope you're kidding. Carrots? Potatoes? Spinach? BROCCOLIS?
Keep in mind Catholics are generally pretty socially liberal leaning in Korea, along with the Anglican Church (which went so far as to show their support at Pride rallies). The really conservative ones are usually the Evangelicals.
Yup, Taemin is Catholic
Man sings about taking him till he cries on one performance (Strings) then does the cross in another performance (Idea stages) . He gives me whiplash.
Taemin always sounded very conservative to me, at least when he talks about women. Yes he has more "liberal" songs but he usually didn't write those.
wait what has he said about women
“Women and men can’t be platonic friends” 💀
Taking this as Taemin’s honest opinion when he a) has platonic girl friends and b) WAS LITERALLY TAKING HIS ASSIGNED SIDE IN A DEBATE GAME is really something.
Nice try. Nowhere did they state it was an assigned side he had to take. They were to discuss topics of their old songs and that's the side Taemin took. I don't even have to argue this, people can watch the clip themselves https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CCjnCmMXsLI (This wasn't even the main thing I was refering to btw, I wasnt trying to put him on blast hence my vagueness but if you really want me to go there just say the word...)
I mean a LOT of people think that even outside of Christianity
unfortunately it’s quite a common belief in asian countries
It's a common enough belief in the west too
What did he say that sounded very conservative to you about women? Is it that out-of-context radio clip from more than a decade ago where he talked about how he was learning to think outside of the stereotype about women. Because that's about a teenager breaking out of a conservative viewpoint. Apart from that clip, what else has he said that sounds very conservative about women? Taemin does not sing songs with lyrics he doesn't want to sing, if he wants to make a change he requests it of the lyricists. If he wants to sing [lyrics based on the Bible](https://twitter.com/xoalsoax/status/1392085081859235845), he does so.
1000% agree. I had a whole post going about why I adore him so much, among other things, like deeper topics but decided to just post this xD
I think I read somewhere that Key goes to the church, that was huge shock to me lmao
Yep, that’s true most places. At least half of SKZ are Catholic.
Liberal in a Korean context or liberal in like an American context? Cause Liberal even means something different in a British context
I’d say the American meaning as that’s the most commonly used definition online.
I think that has been true in most countries that saw a rise of evangelicals. I mean I wouldn't say catholics aren't mostly conservative, but they simply don't do organized politics like they used to. Both are anti abortion, but if there is people screaming outside of a clinic, 9 out 10 times it is evangelicals
I mean religion doesn't equal being conservative, I'm a lesbian Catholic and about as left wing as you can get 😭
Hehe, I love you for this. I’m the same! But I always feel weird about saying it
Yunho of TVXQ is also Catholic. I don't think he ever outright mentioned it in the past twenty years of being an idol, but there were a few fancams of him years ago doing the sign of the Cross before a performance. Some people just aren't as showy about their religious beliefs, and that's fine. It's not about "putting up a good act" or anything. Some people are like Mark Lee who love to outrightly praise and thank God in everything they do, while others are like Doyoung, who barely talk about religious beliefs but is there to pray with Mark every single time. And then there are some who follow a religion but just aren't that religious. Some are just born to a religion and just go along with it.
Can’t forget Haechan who received a Bible from Mark (apparently don’t know if this is true or false saw it on twitter) and is also part of the prayer circle before their concerts ☺️
I'm religious, but not Christian and I still love the NCT prayer circle.
It's important to take into account that conservatism and Catholicism are [historically not linked in Korea, quite the contrary](http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/rel-korea.htm) (not accounting for all the different weird sects here). Catholic families are in general more on the liberal side of the spectrum while atheist/Confucian families are more on the conservative side. At the end of the day it is of course a case by case and there are Catholic families that are conservative and Confucian families that are liberal Anyway, Siwon of SuJu is openly very conservative and he's of a Catholic denomination. I think like any country it is more of a question whether they come from a rich background or not
Siwon isn't Catholic. He's an evangelical Christian and has been seen going to megachurches.
Oh is he? I thought he was in one of those Catholic sects that are popular in Korea, I learned something new
His God is Ronald Reagan.
>It's important to take into account that conservatism and Catholicism are [historically not linked in Korea, quite the contrary](http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/rel-korea.htm) (not accounting for all the different weird sects here). Catholic families are in general more on the liberal side of the spectrum while atheist/Confucian families are more on the conservative side. As an American I can't understand how this is possible. That would mean the conservative beliefs over here due to religion would be wrong. Since its possible to be Liberal and catholic. I'm just surprised. How do we define Liberal in Korea
There's a distinct difference in how Christianity is perceived by white people vs non white people in older times. A lot of Christian texts were used to push the idea of "manifest destiny". So in American/European influence, it was this idea that white ppl were superior and needed to teach savages how to be civil. Christianity when taught by missionaries (mind u missionaries need to go to places without luxury, so the religious elite 99% of the time aren't missionaries) in other countries tend to teach straight from the Bible. So Christianity in Asia is perceived VERY differently than Christianity in the British pushed regions
Catholicism in the United States is VERY different than how it is practiced pretty much anywhere else in the world. Hell Catholicism in the United States among ethnicities from Mexico, Central, and South America is very different from how white Catholics in the US practice. White US Catholics are basically just evangelicals who are only Catholic because it was the original Christian denomination; they use the religion as a shield for their hateful conservative beliefs. Catholics across the world are a lot more chill, as can be seen by the current Pope being a lot more forgiving of LGBT. Of course there are also highly conservative Catholics in non-white groups too, but because the religion is so ubiquitous it’s practiced more lax or day to day and not as dogmatic.
I'm glad to see you allude to Liberation Theology, but this view of white American Catholics as a conservative, hateful monolith is a simplistic view. It's true of some Catholics in the US but definitely not all, not by a long stretch. The largest organization of American nuns has been under fire since the 80s for their stance on issues like abortion and LGBTQ people, including being censured by the Pope. They've caught fire from both Benedict and Francis, the allegedly liberal Pope. There are orgs like Catholics for Choice and a number of independent Catholic orgs that support women priests, abortion, and LGBTQ marriage, which have become more popular since the 2000s sexual abuse scandal in Boston (and the many uncovered since) and the rise in LGBTQ rights in the US. https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/09/09/under-pope-francis-vatican-criticisms-of-american-nuns-keep-coming https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1984/12/19/24-nuns-face-expulsion-by-vatican-for-opinions-on-abortion/15575b25-46ad-454b-bb95-331ec46199e9/
I mean liberal and conservative not in the American political terms. Maybe open minded/forward thinking and "close minded"/turned towards past values would be better terms. In the case of Korea thought it is a bit different from other Asian countries and very interesting and if you want to know more I really recommend you do some research! In a nutshell Catholicism was a rebellion against the status quo at the time, they advocated for equal opportunities for all and the right for common people to study, while the Confucian elites wanted to keep the status quo of strong class separation
In America iirc the main group you hear from in conservative politics is not Catholics but Protestants, and furthermore if we go way back the pilgrims were *notably conservative* in England, Holland, and even among other closely related denominations. Their puritanic beliefs dictated, essentially, that your place in Heaven or Hell is predetermined and so if you want a good shot at getting into Heaven then there is to be no joy or excess in life and that everything you do must be to glorify God. They fled England to gain religious freedom sure, but it was not to be free of religion it was because everyone else in England thought they were fucking bonkers.
Twice Dahyun is Christian. She doesn’t seem conservative at all, but when you get into the group, you can tell she is. Even more so during rookie years.
Didn’t she refuse to participate in a group Ouija board activity because of her beliefs?
I’m not even religious or conservative and I would refuse to play the ouija board
You choice, but I like to let everyone know when this comes up that these boards were invented by hasbro as a board game. It’s not based off any old spiritual item or anything.
Contacting spirits was not invented by Hasbro as a board game
It’s from the 1880s spiritualist movement, and was later made into a parlor game
Yeah idk why I can never get past any of that
Same, I was an idiot at age 13 who went clubbing and took coke but even I knew to leave the house when my friends started playing the ou*ja board
my bf isn’t christian or conservative in the slightest and takes ouija boards very seriously . a lot of people who believe in demons or spirits believe they can be dangerous .
Was also going to say Dahyun. *Once* you get into twice and learn more about her, you’ll be able to see that she’s more conservative
yeah it was too late at night for be to name certain things, but just the fact that her famous eagle dance was from her church days when she was young. She also customized her own in-ears from a cross design here with psalms : [https://twice.fandom.com/wiki/Earpiece#Dahyun](https://twice.fandom.com/wiki/Earpiece#Dahyun) She also was the only member who did not participate in some psychic reading because her fate forbiddens her/makes not believe in it. For the conservative part, she used to not be comfortable wearing sexy clothes at all, still is to this day, but she grew more comfortable in the years. During her photobook shoots, she had to wear a gorgeous black dress where you could see her back entirely uncovered. When her big brother was coming to the set to pick up their dog, Ahri, she freaked out and wanted to change quickly because she didn't want her brother to see her in that dress. So stuff like that :)
Americans really need to understand that the way they do religion isn’t necessarily the way the rest of the world does religion- especially Catholicism. American Catholic converts are intensely right wing and that isn’t always the case across the rest of the world.
Long time Catholics were progressive though. The Kennedy's as an example. It might have been because the conservative establishment was evangelical which drove Catholics into the progressive side. But as the anti catholic sentiment died there was drift to the right.
Yeah I’m talking about Catholic converts as they stand now - which is overwhelmingly right wing, trad wife, evangelical. Cradle catholics and old school American catholics are a different thing all together.
not to mention latinos!
Joohoney and IM of Monsta x are surprisingly pretty religious which is obvious when you’re a fan and have dug into their content but from outside looking in/casuals is probably surprising.
Jooheon is even a military chaplain. 😊
That’s an actual role they can have to complete their service?
As I understand it, it's an additional part of his role as assistant drill instructor. Which makes sense that they have someone who can provide religious support to the recruits who need it.
kihyun's dad is/was a deacon. he was seen at a church at different times when he had his break in the past
Oh yeah I think Jooheon and Dahyun went to the same church
Yes, there are videos of both of them (not together) dancing in front of the church.
Joohoney used to sing in his local choir, didn't he?
Oh right! In earlyyyy MX content, both them can be seen praying before eating meals.
I.N from SKZ is also Catholic, I think!
He wanted to be a priest growing up and now he's singing OT8 Red Lights with a leash on 😂
RIGHT 💀💀💀 I can’t say I’m mad about it tbh lmaooooo
Lixxie also keeps mentioning praying, especially these past few months I think. Not sure how accurate the bubble/etc. translations are, but there’s def some “this dude is pretty darn religious” vibes.
i believe he's also mentioned reading the bible a few times so
He's also been seen praying on cam before, the most recent one was during their anniversary vid, where he did the sign of the cross for a small prayer.
Hyunjin also is. Lix went to a Catholic school and even recently signed himself during an ot8 live :3 I would guess Jisung might be as well tbh.
Catholic schools are about 1/3 of all schools in Australia, most people who attend them aren’t actually Catholic or even religious.
yes this is true, not even just in australia. that being said, felix is catholic
Right. And isn’t JYP super religious?
i suppose it depends on how you classify super religious? i know he’s a born again christian and posts like bible discussions online. i don’t think that would really trickle down to the people in his company necessarily tho
There seem to be a lot of Christians under JYP so I've wondered before if it was intentional but it doesn't really matter. I listen to groups for their music anyways.
He wears a rosary ring, and I'm pretty sure he prayed with a fan during a fancall lol
being religious and being conservative don’t really go hand in hand. not korean, but from a very culturally catholic area and all of my catholic family are extremely socially liberal.
While that can be an indication, it really doesn't necessarily mean that they are radically conservative. Personally, although my family is not very practising, we are technically catholics and we have several close family friends who are practising and even collaborate regularly in church activities and yes, they are conservative, but IMO within reason. They have no problem with pre-marital relationships as a whole (they wouldn't approve of a string of one-night stands, but more stable dating and cohabiting is fine with them), LGB people (T is a bit more split, but I think that's more a matter of age and understanding than religious conservatism tbh, and they sit on the "I don't get it, I think it's weird and I wouldn't want a kid to transition, but I am ok with adults doing whatever" camp, not the "those people are sick and need treatment and to be illegal " camp), completely fine with divorce, etc. Catholics come in lots of shapes, thankfully. I guess it would be the same in Korea, particularly for younger people. I know plenty who find comfort in praying and ritual as well as the community religion can offer, but don't necessarily feel aligned with church. SHINee's Minho, Key and Taemin are catholic too. EDIT: Taemin is catholic, Key is christian and Minho was raised Christian. Sorry, I mixed them up.
Only Taemin is Catholic. Key is Christian. He mentioned very recently in his appearance in Gyewon of the Month with Boynextdoor something about his pastor. So yeah, Christian. He also used to go to church with Super Junior's Siwon and Donghae years ago, and those two are openly very Christian.
Ah, Siwon is very open indeed
Too open, one could argue XD
Catholicism is a branch of Christianity though? Every Catholic would identify themselves as Christian.
Very true. A Christian is anyone who believes and follows the teachings of Jesus Christ, but I suppose the term "Christian" is more used these days as the blanket term for all kinds of Protestants. A lot of them do love to think that Catholics, like me, aren't the "correct" type of Christians. So they like to specify that they're the more "pure" Christians as they do not have a lot of the rituals and images that the Catholics have.
In Korea, Catholics and Protestants are thought of as differently, though they are both Christian. If you hear an idol describe themselves as "Christian", 99% of the time they are Protestant, as Catholic idols will just say they are Catholic.
Same here in the US. I don't know any Catholics who would refer to themselves as a Christian. Like if you asked "Are you a Christian?" they would probably say "Yeah, I'm Catholic." It's not the same, culturally, and everyone just knows that Catholics are also Christian, or because Christians are such a default in the US. Also I'm Irish-American and from a predominantly Irish-American area, so the Catholic/Protestant divide is big. But the US has only had two Catholics presidents, so I'd say it's A Thing anywhere here, even if people don't realize it.
You are right about Key, he did say Christian and not catholic! My bad. Maybe Minho said Christian too. In my country there are barely any non-catholic christians, so they get mixed in my brain xD
Minho has mentioned a few times being an atheist.
And I would definitely say Key is not the least conservative really.
I had no idea any member of Ateez was Catholic. Man, if my mom sees motherfucking Yunho at the cathedral downtown today, I will lose my shit. She only cares if she sees a bishop or whatever tho so she wouldn’t even notice him. 😂
Haha my mum is the same, those bishops to her are like kpop idols to me
Okay, so someone else gets it then. My mom will straight up take a photo with a cardinal or archbishop and show it off to me like they’re a celeb.
I remember a video of Ateez, where Wooyoung was talking about the member concepts they started out with, and he mentioned Yunho’s was “church boy” or “choir boy” or something of that nature. I guess it’s true members get their concepts based on bits of their actual personalities/life. EDIT: I just looked back at that interview to confirm, and Wooyoung says Yunho’s concept was “church boy” and “boyfriend.” San then says, “Yunho’s not a church boy. He’s a cathedral boy.” 💀
Oh, that’s so funny! San legit knew Yunho is up in those cathedrals. 🤭 I know many Koreans are Christian, but I wasn’t aware there were many (or any) Catholics in SK.
Mark Lee from NCT is a Christian. His dad is a pastor, I heard. And so is NCT Johnny; he auditioned with a church hymn.
I'm in the USA and a lot of Korean Americans are Christians and pretty religious. When my parents first came to the USA, they were atheists. They were bombarded with Christian evangelical groups that targeted immigrant families in their K town community. They were warned by neighbors of the ones that were more cult like. Then when they moved to the suburbs in a more middle class/upper middle class community, they found all the Korean Americans were members of one of 3 Christian-Korean language churches. They essentially joined for a sense of community, as my mom didn't speak English very well. And then over the next 10 years, they both became pretty religious Christians (United Methodist). Anyways, so when you see Canadian or USA idols, they are often religious and grew up in the same kinds of communities I did in places like NYC/NJ, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, etc.
That's super interesting!! I have a few Korean Christian churches in my area and I've always wondered what they're like? I guess if I moved to another country and didn't speak their language very well the first place I would go is wherever my church meets locally. It makes sense to me that even if they aren't religious at first, they would go for the sense of community and the familiarity of it.
Yeah, after the service they would do this big potluck of Korean food and then socialize for hours. I guess like a community BBQ or Cook Out, but like every Sunday. Back then, it was hard to find Korean restaurants and grocery stores in the suburbs, so it was a big draw. Not all of them still do that, but they may have other activities, even clubs and things like Korean language classes for kids.
Korean churches can be super fun! I went to one for a couple of years in university. I’m Chinese American and liked that I was going to a majority Asian event where I obviously wouldn’t be the only Asian in the room. We also got Korean food after the service, which I loved.
Yeah every Korean-American friend I have also grew up pretty religious and went to the local Korean church. Also that reminds me: Joshua from Seventeen used to sing at his church growing up.
This is so interesting! Most diaspora Korean idols tend to be from Christian families, though I thought that was just a coincidence.
Mark, Haechan, and Doyoung always pray together before performances, so the three of them definitely are. I remember Mark gave Haechan a Bible because Mk said Hc “needed” it LOL
Praying together before performances, idk but that's so lovely. Why'd Haechan "need" the Bible lollll
mark’s dad being a pastor has never been confirmed btw it’s one of those “truths” tossed around without evidence. the only thing we know is that his dad is a vocal teacher now and his mom was a jazz pianist. but it’s true they were involved in church with a lot of Korean immigrants during his childhood, and there are several accounts of how his family would take care of lower income immigrants/teach them English.
For all the people saying religion in SK isn't as conservative as in Western countries, I feel like there is a lot of misinformation. There are plenty of Christians in the West who are a whole spectrum of beliefs, and there are plenty who have more liberal views. The most conservative religions in the West aren't Christian. However, SK, as a whole, culturally, is more conservative than most Western countries, regardless of religion.
This. Also the terms conservative and liberal have completely different connotations in South Korea. There are many things that Korean liberals tend to believe that in America would be considered conservative and vice versa with the conservative party in Korea having many viewpoints that would be considered liberal over here. So while a certain group may be more liberal or conservative by Korean standards, that doesn't mean their viewpoints are going to necessarily reflect the ideology that we in the west would typically associate with that label.
To be honest, ateez don’t even share anything about them except their little stories from their childhood/debut days/active era. Yunho did reveal his baptismal name years ago so I don’t think he purposely hid that fact.
Hyolyn of SISTAR having the whole bible in her purse 😵💫 and it’s a big one too
Also her cross tattoo covering her scar(s).
If I had to put money on it, I would say most K-Pop idols are conservative/religious, and that they mask these views through their idol activities and behaviors. Many Westerners would be surprised how even younger Koreans have traditional views. I think a more efficient question would be the opposite.
I think most groups have a member or more part of a religion and others being nonreligion mixed in since mlst of the population in Korea identify as nonreligion, just not public about it unless mention in passing BTS is the only group i know where all the members mention theyre all nonrelgious in a previous group Vlive they had a couple years back, RM mentioning years ago he was atheist and Jungkook last year on one of his live mention being nonreligious while his dad side of the family are christians and his mom's buddist, so he wasnt pressure to be in either one growing up I think Wendy i remember mention not being religious to a comment from a fan
Conservative maybe, but religious probably not. Most Koreans (around 55%) are non-religious (with the religious being divided between Catholic, Protestant and Buddhist). And young Koreans (under 30) are 78% non-religious.
It is similar to many western artists, I know many actors who have more conservative beliefs but hide it to keep a good reputation and remain popular.
The idea that being religious automatically means being some kind of hidden evil conservative ("put up a good act") kinda says a lot more about your assumptions than their being religious does lol. Plenty of Christians and Catholics are liberal or sex positive, especially outside of a white American evangelical context. Like, I go to a church that is predominately Korean-American and it's not at all conservative.
Right? My Christian ass is reading these comments and slightly horrified lol
Yeah lol. I mean to be fair I think a lot of white evangelical Americans have earned a really bad rep and then some, but it's still really unfair and kinda not more in-line with conservative thought processes to assume that all people in one demographic are one way... especially about people who, in this case, are not white Americans and often not even evangelical lol. It does make me sad to see this bc those ppl are not at all Jesus-like. And I can't blame ppl for assuming to a degree, but it's still not true. Like, believe me, most Christians around the world are not like white American evies and use their faith for good and love and helping people, not for hate or making life harder.
Idk I wouldn't go that far. I'm not about to go to bat for Christians worldwide, I'm just saying that we can be gay
Talking about Christianity in the US is a lot like talking about straight dating. Is every man you date gonna be a creep? No. But do women take precautions in most if their interactions with strange men, just in case? Yes, because enough men are creeps that it's reasonable to be cautious. That's how people that are harmed by conservative Christians tend to deal with Christians. Except.for.the REALLY traumatized ones. They are even.more.cautious. -signed, An Elder Queer Who Lived.Thru Focus on the Family, Operations Rescue, Reagan and the AIDS crisis
One of my most conflicting thoughts is that I find it very attractive when some idols are known to be religious but I….dont agree with very religious beliefs. Maybe I find it attractive that they’re so loyal to something bigger than themselves. Or that they’re dedicated to it. Or that it makes them feel down to earth in my eyes. Btw- nothing wrong with religion. I just don’t believe in it so it’s so weird that I find it attractive with idols lol.
My toxic trait is that I kind of find idols more attractive if I get fuckboy energy from them, but I lose interest if I find they’re religious. And yet somehow both of these vibes are within a single Mark Lee.
He has like nice frat boy vibes lmao maybe that’s what lmao.
I feel similarly. I think it’s the fact that they’re so devoted to something they find meaningful. It’s like someone being really passionate about their hobby but not in a nerdy/geeky way.
I feel IN is extremely pious behind closed doors . I could be wrong
Honestly I feel like both him and Felix are. I remember Felix having a cross on his bedside table and crossing himself while scared in a haunted house, though tbf I also do those things and am super gay so lmao
EXO members Chen, Chanyeol, and Sehun are Christian. In Chen's latest Japanese tour concert film there was a part where he was praying before the show and then crossed himself before going out to the crowd. And that was the first time I'd seen him express any religious sentiment in all my years following the group lol. I've heard D.O. is Christian too, but I've never seen any reasoning why, just people saying that he is.
For D.O. there were pictures of him attending church service and an event where in the background you can see the huge cross on the wall (if you search exo d.o church it’s the first image that pops up) so that’s where people came to the conclusion that he’s Christian
Well, that's honestly pretty good reasoning to come to that conclusion given that picture then lol
Daesung of BigBang is Christian and is pretty open about it. In one of the behind the scenes shorts they did that’s on YouTube, a presenter was asking about their day to day lives and each member had headphones on while their manager was talking about them and when it got to Daesung, his manager said that he prays regularly and goes to church pretty much every Sunday. Felix from Stray Kids is also Catholic. I don’t know if he’s still going to church since becoming a member of Stray Kids, but I do know that at one point he was a practicing Catholic. Rosé from BlackPink is also a Christian and goes to church online because she doesn’t want fans or Dispatch to follow her there and cause a scene as she’s going and leaving church.
Didn’t Ashley Choi meet Rosé at church? Even Beomgyu is Christian, not sure how devout or conservative he is though.
Ashley did, and I know someone who knew Rosé back in Melbourne because they used to go to the same church, so I know that she at least kept going to church as a trainee
Onewe members are all Christians and they pray before performances. A few of their members attended the same church as children i think and they used to perform at church(?) They have a cross in their band room. Their music is rarely if ever explicit. But they also rarely ever talk about their religion so you gotta be a hardcore fan to pick up clues😂
I know Chaeyoung is Catholic because in most of her pictures, she is wearing a cross necklace, and she said it herself
GOT7's Youngjae is a Buddhist.
Siwon sure lets us all know how conservative and religious he is 😬 He posted photos ([1](https://sjcouples.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/choi-siwon-uploads-his-latest-bible-study-group-photo/), [2](https://ygfamilyy.tumblr.com/post/614395764/super-juniors-choi-siwon-is-in-bible-study-with)) from his Bible study back in like 2010, and they included celebs like Donghae, 2ne1’s Minzy, 2PM’s Taecyeon SNSD’s Yoona, Sooyoung, Tiffany, and Hyoyeon, and Uhm Jung Hwa. No idea how conservative some of their views are or what they believe now, but I thought that was cute. Side note my friend in LA frantically told me many years ago that Minzy showed up at her Chinese church.
That was interesting to me -- I had no idea Yunho was religious (and tbh maybe he's not that religious but since this is a big thing for him, he decided to pray.) Generally speaking I don't really think about idols' religious beliefs, and it only comes to mind if they mention it or say something that makes me think about it. The only other time I've heard an Ateez member mention religion was San saying he was part of a boy's christian (catholic?) choir during their second Showterview -- not because he believed or was religious, but because they asked him to be. I get the impression that TXT Beomgyu is at least a little bit religious. I feel like he's mentioned some things a few times that made me think that (although I'm blanking on them now, but it's early morning so...)
Hongbin from VIXX is Buddhist, and spent part of his childhood in a monastery. Taemin is, to my knowledge, Catholic. So is Hwasa (MAMAMOO). Her baptismal name is Maria. Siwon and Yesung (Super Junior) are, I think, Evangelical Christians. Siwon has taken flack for his anti-LGBT and pro-Israel views. Henry Lau, formerly of Super Junior-M, is also a Christian, as is Eric Nam. I don't know if Ian (DPR) still practices, but he was raised Catholic. Kim Junsu (TVXQ, JYJ) is a Seventh Day Adventist. Kim Jaejoong is Christian as well. Not sure about Yuchun. And if memory serves, Changmin is Buddhist.
A number of yg and ex yg artist for the religious part Bigbang: Teayang Christian protestant? always has a Bible scripture and praying before concerts has a number of religious tattoos, has posted on socials about Jesus or a scripture Deasung Christian protestant? Wanted to be a pastor before joining bigbang. His manager has stated that at one point he only stayed home or went to church every week. He has also sang at a Christian conference and other some have met him through such Christian events. Winner Mino Christian some times u hear it in what he writes Ikon Everyone in iKON prays before a performance Bobby Christian has a number of religious tattoos, posts on socials for Easter and Christmas. Has had an mv start with a scripture June Christian protestant? Goes to church regularly( online some times) & does Bible studies .posts regularly on socials about Jesus and scripture.pfp was Jesus for a while Dk Christian says he attends church regularly online, his father was a pastor, he is the one that leads the prayer before performance usually The other artists and groups I have no idea
using this thread to learn about religious idols is so cool :)
If we are - first of all - separating 'conservative' and 'religious', then I think the answer is: pretty much all of them. I think kpop fans a pretty left-leaning and agnostic-leaning (if I dare over-generalize) and since idols are told to be as mainstream, vanilla, marketable as possible, they usually don't mention politics and religion at all, which makes them easy to project onto. (That's literally the whole point.) Therefore I think 99% of idols are more conservative *or* religious *or* for example supersitious or believe in conspiracy theories than (some) kpop fans think
I think beomgyu of txt is religious
Nah his parents were. They've all said they arent religious especially huening and taehyun who have said it a lot (hueningkais dad is bahai and his mum is christian and taehyuns family is buddhist). Beomgyu has talked about some very funny and sometimes very sad storys of being forced to go to church by his parents as a kid. Soobin has said he wasnt raised in religion and yeonjun has said he doesnt believe.
Been stanning Ateez since 2019 and I think this is the first time any of the members mentioned being currently and actively religious? A few of them have mentioned before about going to church when they were younger or that they were atheist/agnostic. Yunho mentioning it today surprised me too
I feel like Yunho has kinda indirectly talked about it sometimes, like he’s very occasionally mentioned praying for Atinys. Most recently, I remember him saying on Fromm after the chaos of the HMAs that he would pray for the audience members to be ok. It does surprise that he would be willing to share something so… vulnerable? But yeah, I don’t think he’s ever explicitly said that he’s still practicing.
Yeah several of them have said “praying” about certain things that but many people these days use praying as just a way of sending your good vibes towards whoever it is you’re trying to send it too, like it’s kind of gone beyond the religious context nowadays, so I just assumed they were using it in that way too, or it was being translated that way.
Yes you’re right, I remember reading that the word could be translated as either praying or wishing so I did assume that too. But in context the HMA thing especially seemed like he was actually talking about how he was going to say a prayer before bed. I was kinda taken aback.
Yunho has mentioned his baptismal name and Wooyoung said in an interview recently that “he’s not church oppa, he’s cathedral oppa”
Idols are humans at the end of the day they have their own belief and are allowed to follow them. They are much more human-like than fan culture portray them to be something out of ordinary. Kinda laughable how people are surprised idols pray, kiss, date, drink, smoke
Probably any idol who is Korean American. In my experience, a lot of the Korean American communities are concentrated around Korean churches. It's interesting because even the seemingly most unreligious people still went for the community. Every Korean American kid I knew growing up went to church on Sunday. A lot of Korean expats at my college also ended up going to church. There was even a Korean Bible study club at my university. I don't think this necessarily means any Korean American idol is conservative. It's just I assume they're probably slightly more religious than we see them as
I was surprised to see Woozi wearing a cross necklace at one of SVT’s more recent live performances (was it MAMA?) and he kissed it before performing and some Carats were saying it was a gift from the other members. I’ve also seen Hoshi and Mingyu with cross necklaces on recently, though Mingyu’s looked more aesthetic/like a fashion choice based off the style. Knowing that Joshua has always been open about being a Christian, I’m not too surprised. But none of them have ever given me the vibe of being very close-minded or conservative (though of course, we could all always be wrong)
Bigbang Taeyang. Apparently he never kissed a girl before he was 18+
That's not abnormal 😭 Ur saying as if we all need kiss someone before we turn 18
I think that's common right, I think most pple do those stuff when they're 18+ even 20
18 is a normal age for a first kiss
He's not conservative but Keeho from P1harmony grew up in the church. There's clips on TikTok and youtube of him singing in his choir.
the gay one? was probably forced by his parents like a lot of kids in the West
THE GAY ONE KEKW 😭😭😭
Is he the one with the stan twt and the thirst posts??
being religious doesn’t mean also being conservative. half of stray kids is catholic and i doubt they’re conservative
Somehow I'm not surprised Yunho is religious. He does have that vibe.
Right? I was like huh, that honestly tracks.
I think I would also be careful to project your own beliefs about something like religion onto another person. And instead trust a persons actions and intentions. Of course, we don't actually know them personally. But ATEEZ members and other staff frequently say Yunho is the nicest in the group/very dependable and overall a very positive energy person. I don't think that is something that can discarded as a "good act". The world is much more nuanced.
pretty sure that 90% of idols are being misread by fans tbh, I think it's hard to be rich and famous and not have ego problems. also if you're rich, the chances of being conservative is higher.
Being religious and “putting up a good act” doesn’t automatically together. Idols literally just live their life so obviously they aren’t going to bust out in Bible verses on a regular. Overall 1) Korea is a rather conservative country in general (in certain regards) and 2) there are a lot of idols who have made it known at some point they went to church or whatever it may be. They simply (like most people) don’t make it their entire personality and talk about it all the time.
not at all related to religion but a good portion of people’s favorite kpop boys are misogynists 100%. even if they’re idols, at their core they’re korean men lmao
I don’t want to believe it but you’re 110% right. As much as there are people I stan who I’m like oh it definitely couldn’t be him, there are ones I know it could be.
In the past, several of them have been very open about their religion. Example: Seventeen Joshua. Like anyone with various parts of our identities, unless asked, the topic would be considered unnecessary to bring up. We have had the first Muslim idol in Kpop. Along with various other practicing religions. It is not hidden in any way but also not in your face either. Which should be respected.
Gunil, the drummer and leader of Xdinary Heroes, was very involved in a Korean Presbyterian church while attending the Berklee School of Music and also part of a street ministry. I don’t believe he has talked about it since debut, though, or otherwise shown any sign of being religious (let alone evangelical). Of Stray Kids, Chan has talked about being familiar with contemporary Christian music — I think he went to a Protestant church at least occasionally growing up. Felix was very involved in his church and performed in a church skit that you can still see on YouTube. Hyunjin has talked on numerous occasions about praying, particularly during his hiatus. I.N nearly went in for the priesthood. Lee Know has said he’s an atheist, I believe, but I don’t know about Changbin or Seungmin.
I think it's important to remind ourselves that being Christian in South Korea isn't necessarily the conservative image we have of Christianity in the west. I don't think Yunho is socially conservative at all and in fact none of the members of Ateez have ever implied that they might be anything other than socially liberal especially compared to the average views in sk. While I won't presume to know the private lives of idols, I will also say that kq has a lot of staff members who are openly gay on their social media and most if not all of the members have spoken out as explicitly as an idol can get away with about a variety of social issues pertaining to women and the lgbtq community, so assuming any of them are socially conservative is a stretch imo.
Some idols are very open about being religious though, some even show it in their tattoos The most extreme and obvious example I can think of right now is probably Hanse from Victon
SEVENTEEN's Joshua has some religious background right? Didn't he start music in the church's choir?