Podcast with audio only (From Protest to Paradox)

 

From Protest to Paradox

 

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From Protest to Paradox: A Critical Look at South Korea's Shifting Faith and Enduring Politics

 

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This video offers my observations on the evolving landscape of Christianity in South Korea, a phenomenon deeply entwined with the nation's politics and social movements. I witnessed autocracy firsthand and protested as a college student in the 1970s. Decades have passed since then. Korea has since regained democracy amid significant challenges and, in the interim, transformed into an advanced economy, bringing K-pop and K-drama to the global stage. Much has transpired, rendering it, in many ways, a different country. While there's much to explore regarding these changes, this video's focus lies elsewhere. Instead, I will give you a brief response to a podcast episode I listened to recently.

While Christianity once enjoyed widespread popularity, its influence is now waning. It has largely lost its broad appeal, yet it often retains its rigid conservatism, largely aligning with right-wing ideologies. Of course, the situation is not monolithic. My reflections were recently prompted by a podcast episode discussing Christian nationalism in South Korea and its connections to the United States. This video, therefore, delves into that experience and aims to stimulate further study of history and religion.

The podcast episode by "American Unexceptionalism" was engaging, informative, and thought-provoking. I listened with great interest and agree with Helen Kim and Ray Kim’s analysis of Christian nationalism in both the U.S. and South Korea.

I'd add that Korea is no longer the Christian “superpower” it was in the 1960s-80s. As of 2024 surveys, Protestants comprise about 17% of the population, Buddhists 16%, and Catholics 6%, while over 51% identify as non-religious. Among those under 29, only about 10% are Christian, indicating diminishing influence on younger people. I expect Korea will become largely secular, like much of Europe.

A significant bloc within Korean Protestantism aligns with Christian nationalist politics, supporting right-wing, anti-communist positions and Trumpism. This group is roughly 20% of the population, large enough to be politically consequential. While there are also liberal and dissenting Christians, they do not constitute a majority. Despite this, they are doing their best to improve Korean society and ensure social justice.

As for the host’s question about what sustained Korean democracy after President Yoon’s martial law declaration, the answer isn’t simple, but two factors stand out. First, many in the 20–30s generation learned from their parents and schools about Korean pro-democracy struggles, including the Gwangju Democracy Movement, which claimed hundreds of lives under the military regime. Those memories informed broad civic mobilization, leading both older and younger citizens to take to the streets, drawing on lessons from history.

Indeed, I was in Seoul when Yoon declared martial law, out of the blue, on December 3, 2024. I was there for academic travels, lecturing, and other engagements. The experience left me devastated and plunged me into trauma. My anger was so profound that I even attended a large protest in front of the National Assembly when Yoon was impeached.

Second, within religious circles, a crucial driver has been the Group of Catholic Priests for Justice. Their longstanding advocacy gives Catholics a public image of caring for social justice and democratic integrity. By contrast, many conservative Protestant leaders are viewed as narrow, power-seeking, and corrupt—perceptions that have damaged their moral authority.

On a related historical note, Catholicism was present in Korea before the arrival of Protestant missionaries. Early American missionaries, including Methodists and Presbyterians, sowed the seeds of Christian conservatism, which laid the groundwork for much of the current mainline Christianity in Korea.

There’s much more to discuss on this topic. I also have a short article on Christianity in South Korea in the Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity, edited by Daniel Patte.

Thank you for watching this video.
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Leaves fall like birds

On November 9, 2025, I observed leaves falling like birds in flight through the window of my study room, surrounded by feelings of awe and mystery, fascinated by their sudden dance in the wind, a simple yet rarely noticed act of nature.

 

The Question of "Origin"

 

Consider the beautiful anthurium and Christmas cactus. Where do they truly originate? The answers are diverse: they might be from a store, a thoughtful gift, their native habitats, or their evolutionary history.

Similarly, when we consider human origins, no single answer suffices. We can explore them through family ties, cultural and community identity, ethnic memory, psychological development, existential or religious narratives, and scientific accounts. It is crucial to keep asking the question from all these angles. No single framework fully encompasses the truth; instead, each perspective corrects and profoundly enriches the others.

Mystery of Pebbles

I gaze upon these exquisite pebbles and wonder, "What tales could you tell?" Their origins, shrouded in mystery, stretch back an astounding one to two billion years. Sculpted and resculpted by glaciers over countless millennia, each pebble stands as a unique masterpiece. They boast a diverse array of sizes, colors, shapes, and textures—no two alike in their natural splendor.

I marvel at the artistry of nature, pondering what force could craft such magnificent beauty. Even more awe-inspiring is the tactile connection I share with these ancient fragments. As I cradle them in my palm, feeling their smooth contours and varied surfaces, I'm struck by a profound sense of connection to Earth's vast geological history.

In this moment, I become a fleeting link in an incomprehensibly long chain of time, bridging the present to a distant past that shaped these enduring stone treasures.

Endorsements of the book "Justice and the Parables of Jesus"

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ENDORSEMENTS

"In Justice and the Parables of Jesus, Yung Suk Kim offers a bold and refreshing reorientation of how we read the teachings of Jesus. Moving beyond traditional theological and historical interpretations, Kim invites readers to engage the parables through the lens of political philosophy—where questions of liberty, rights, and above all, justice, come to the fore. By examining the parables within the political realities of first-century Palestine and through ten dimensions of justice—distributive, procedural, restorative, global, and more—Kim bridges ancient text and modern context with remarkable clarity and moral urgency. His work challenges readers not merely to decode Jesus’s stories, but to discern their ethical implications for our own fractured world. This book is a vital contribution to contemporary biblical scholarship and to the ongoing dialogue between theology and social ethics. For pastors, students, and scholars who believe that faith must wrestle with the demands of justice, Justice and the Parables of Jesus is essential reading—insightful, provocative, and deeply relevant for our times."

—Demetrius K. Williams, Professor of Comparative Literature and Religious Studies, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee

"Drawing on the interpretive traditions of Howard Thurman, Walter Wink, and Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Professor Kim offers a socio-political reading of Jesus’s parables as incisive critiques of systemic injustice within the Roman imperial order. Integrating political philosophy and biblical exegesis, this work illuminates how these narratives expose the moral structure of hierarchical societies—ancient and modern—inviting readers to reconsider the ethical and political dimensions of parable discourse."

—Emerson Powery, Dean for the School of Arts, Culture & Society at Messiah University

"Recent studies of Jesus's parables have made clear the importance of situating them within the political and economic realities of his time. In this innovative book, Yung Suk Kim takes things further by approaching them with questions and insights from political theology in mind. Kim also brings ancient thinkers and sources like Confucius and Laozi into the conversation. The result is a volume that creates a conversation between the New Testament and pressing concerns of our own time." 

—James F. McGrath, Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language & Literature, Butler University

“This book goes beyond the general claim that Jesus was a prophet of God’s justice—articulated, among other ways, in his narrative parables—to explore the diverse ways that this justice unfolds in human affairs.”
—Chris Marshall, Emeritus Professor of Restorative Practice at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

Faith and Paul

By Yung Suk Kim

10 Essential Things to Know about Paul's View of Faith (PDF):

• God is the Bible’s supreme faithful character; God’s faithfulness grounds God’s righteousness, the good news, and God’s love.
• God called Abraham from nothing by grace. Abraham’s response was trust in the Lord—an ongoing, lived faith marked by struggles and perseverance, not merely intellectual assent.
• The intended order is grace → faith → law: grace precedes faith, and faith precedes the law.
• The righteous person lives by faithfulness (Hab 2:4). 
• Jesus manifests God’s righteousness through faith (Rom 3:22).
• God justifies those who share in the faith of Jesus (Rom 3:26).
• Faith and the law are not opposed: the law is holy. Faith “completes” the law when the law is observed through the vision of faith; conversely, the law helps shape faithful living (e.g., love of God and neighbor).
• Faith and works are not separate (James 2:26); what matters is “faith working through love” (Gal 5:6).
• Paul’s threefold emphasis—God’s righteousness, Christ’s faithfulness, and human faith—is summed in Rom 3:22: God’s righteousness is revealed through Christ’s faithfulness and received by all who have faith.
• Above all, the primary function of faith is righteous living before God and others.

Books in Progress

  

Three Important Things to Know about Paul

The following is a rough transcription of my speaking.

Tonight, I'm going to talk about three important things concerning Paul and his letters.

The first is regarding Jesus and Paul—in other words, how Paul relates to Jesus. What are their teachings about God? Number two: perspectives on Paul. Who is the real Paul? Some people think of Paul in a certain way, and others think differently, so which is correct? We’ll discuss the old and new perspectives on Paul. Lastly, the third thing is the centerpiece of Paul's gospel. In other words, what is the central point of his gospel proclamation?

I'll briefly explain each of these one by one.

First, Jesus and Paul were both Jewish thinkers, and their thoughts and theology are rooted in God, the good news of God. The central point here is that God is the good news. God is good and righteous. Everything good you think about originates with God. God is the source of good news; God is the good news. This is a fundamental point made by both Jesus and Paul. For example, if you read Mark 1:14, after John was arrested, Jesus began to proclaim the good news of God, saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news." This is what Jesus proclaimed first, after he was baptized and after John was arrested: the good news of God. He did not proclaim his own good news. Jesus did not proclaim that he was the good news.

Paul also writes in his letter to the Romans (Romans 1:1), "Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God." He also says he was set apart for the gospel of God. His apostleship, his mission, is set apart to proclaim the goodness of God, which God promised beforehand through the prophets, through the Holy Scriptures. Paul then talks about the work of Jesus, the Son of God, who exemplified, manifested, and proclaimed the goodness of God through his life, death, ministry, preaching, and good deeds.

Second, let's talk about perspectives on Paul. There are two main perspectives. The first is the old perspective on Paul, which reigned for almost 2,000 years of Christian history. Many Christians and churches have thought that Paul's view of Judaism and the Law is bad and negative. In other words, they thought Paul thought Judaism was wrong, that the Law was wrong, and that people couldn't be saved or justified through Judaism or the Law. They believed that the new religion, Christianity, offered a new way of salvation by faith, not by keeping the Law. The Law was imperfect and not a means of salvation, so Christianity provided a new way. According to the old perspective on Paul, Paul believed that Judaism and the Law were not the way to salvation; only faith was. Not by Judaism, but by Christianity; not by the Law, but through faith in Jesus. Through faith in Jesus, the Law became obsolete, and through faith in Jesus, you are saved.

However, there is a new perspective on Paul, which believes that Judaism itself is not wrong. Judaism is also a religion of grace. The Law is not inherently wrong. Paul says the Law is holy and its commandments are perfect and good. In Romans, when he says, "Do we overthrow the law by this faith?" he answers, "By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law." According to the new perspective on Paul, Paul's view of Judaism and the Law is not negative. The Law is not wrong, and Judaism is not wrong. The only thing Paul points out in his letters is the Jewish reaction to the Messiah, Jesus. They didn't believe in Jesus; they did not accept Jesus as the Messiah. Also, they absolutized the Law. Paul's fundamental point is that faith comes before the Law.

Lastly, I'm going to talk about the centerpiece of Paul's gospel—his threefold gospel. In other words, Paul's fundamental claim in his gospel is made in Romans 3:22. I would call this the threefold gospel. I find a threefold theology of Paul in this verse, with three parts: first, God's part—the righteousness of God, which means God is righteous. That is the fundamental claim and praise from the Old Testament. The second part is Christ's part—through the faith of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ manifested the righteousness of God. Jesus showed the world who God was and how righteous God was. This is Christ's exemplified part, not merely your faith in Jesus, but Christ's own faith. The last part is for all who believe. The righteousness of God coming through Jesus Christ's faithfulness is effective for all who believe, for all who participate in this three-part relationship. This is the centerpiece of Paul's gospel, teaching, and theology. There are three parts; they have a threefold relationship.