Berkley Center

Christianity has a rich and conflicted history on the Korean Peninsula. This working paper by Bianca Trifoi briefly reviews the history of Protestantism in the two Koreas, evaluates how this Christian tradition has served as both barrier and bridge, and argues that Protestantism has the potential to foster reconciliation and cooperation between the two Koreas. Protestant groups in South Korea have great potential to influence not only how South Koreans think about North Korea, but also the very policies enacted by the South Korean state in regard to North Korea.

This working paper was written as part of the Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power project, a research initiative of Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. This article arises from a partnership between the project and the United States Institute of Peace focused on understanding how the geopolitics of religion shapes peace and conflict dynamics in particular regional and country settings. The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the respective author(s).