As South Korea awaits a Constitutional Court ruling on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, the country’s most fervent pro-Yoon churches are emerging at the centre of growing political and religious activism.
Outspoken pastors and their congregations have become some of the conservative president’s loudest supporters, taking to mass rallies, social media, and parliamentary speeches to demand his reinstatement following his impeachment over a martial law declaration in December.
Their campaign, rooted in religious conviction and fierce anti-communist ideology, portrays Yoon’s impeachment not as a legal check on power but as a threat to national security and the fight against North Korea.
Critics, however, argued that the churches’ heightened rhetoric reflects an attempt to maintain relevance in a rapidly secularising society.
“This shows they want to exercise power and demonstrate that they are still influential in South Korean society,” said Sukwhan Sung, a theology professor who leads the Center for City and Community in Seoul.
The religious mobilisation appears to be influencing public sentiment. Polling from Gallup Korea shows Yoon’s party has narrowed the gap with the opposition to four percentage points, down from a 24-point deficit in December.
At the forefront is Save Korea, a religious advocacy group that emerged after Yoon’s martial law declaration. Its rallies have drawn thousands, including one in Daegu that police said attracted over 50,000 people.
“At first, everyone had doubts about martial law. But many have been enlightened thanks to Save Korea,” said Bae Ji-hyun, a regular attendee at the group’s protests, speaking at a March 8 rally in Seoul.
Demonstrators at the event carried banners reading “Yes to Martial Law” and “Stop the Steal”, echoing unsubstantiated election fraud claims by both Yoon and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Some lawmakers from Yoon’s ruling party have invoked religious language in their own protests. Outside the Constitutional Court, one group prayed for divine influence over the judges, while a lawmaker told reporters the country was in a “spiritual war against dark forces”.
Yoon’s December 3 declaration of martial law included sweeping bans on political activity and placed media under military control, as he pledged to eliminate “pro-North Korea” and “anti-state” forces and end political deadlock. Although rescinded after six hours, it prompted mass protests and led to his impeachment on December 14.
Since his January 15 arrest, Yoon’s supporters have intensified counter-protests. In late January, pro-Yoon activists stormed a court after his detention was extended. He was released on March 8 and now awaits the court’s final decision on his political fate.
Authorities are bracing for unrest when the verdict is delivered, as tensions escalate at gatherings of Yoon’s backers. Among the most vocal is evangelical preacher Jun Kwang-hoon of the Sarang Jeil Church, who pledged at a rally this month to complete Yoon’s mission of “cleansing” the country.
If the judges vote to remove Yoon, he said: “We will mobilise the people’s right to resist and blow them away with one stroke of the sword”.
Jun is currently under police investigation for suspected incitement of insurrection over the January courthouse attack. While the church has denied any violent intent in his remarks, it stated it would cooperate with the authorities.
South Korea’s Protestant churches have long been engaged in conservative social campaigns, such as opposing LGBT rights and anti-discrimination laws. But their current role in defending Yoon marks a deeper dive into political confrontation, amid declining numbers in the pews.
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A 2021 Gallup Korea poll showed only 40% of South Koreans identified as religious, down from 50% in 2014. Among those aged 19 to 29, just 22% said they had religious beliefs, with only 14% identifying as Protestants.
Some religious groups have condemned the pro-Yoon movement. The National Council of Churches’ task force described Save Korea as a “political group disguised with a Christian facade”.
In response, Save Korea insisted it is not aligned with any political party.
“We are focusing on prayer movements to protect evangelical values and liberal democracy, and it is a misunderstanding to interpret them through a political frame,” a spokesperson said.
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