Mandatory chapel comes as a nasty surprise for some students in Korea

K-campus

Published: 26 Nov. 2022, 07:00 Updated: 03 Mar. 2023, 18:11

Mandatory chapel comes as a nasty surprise for some students in Korea

Nearly 80 higher education institutes in Korea require compulsory religious programs such as Chapel and Christianity lectures, causing concern among students from different religious backgrounds. [AARON BURDEN VIA UNSPLASH]

Linara Makhatova, a 20-year-old student from Kazakhstan, was entering her first semester at Yonsei University in Seoul last year when she discovered an unexpected graduation requirement: A Christianity class and two years' worth of chapel.

Makhatova was unaware of these compulsory programs and her years practicing Islam did nothing to prepare her for the onset of Christian doctrine and values she was obligated to learn.

“I was completely surprised with the news that I had to take Christians courses in order to graduate,” she said.

Makhatova was aware of Yonsei’s religious background before applying to the school, but noted that many other international students come to Yonsei with no prior knowledge of its Christian values.

“When looking for a school, most students do not focus their research on an institute’s religion,” said Makhatova. “Also, Yonsei did not thoroughly advertise its Christian identity all that much.”

According to the Korea Federation of Christian Schools, there are 76 higher education institutes in Korea that require compulsory religious programs for all students. Chapel and Christianity courses are a strict graduation requirement regardless of one’s religious affiliation.

This raises a major concern for Korea’s rising international student population — many of whom come from a range of religious backgrounds. In 2021, there were approximately 152,000 international students in the country, and as this number continues to grow, the question will persist as to whether Korean universities should accommodate their students’ varied religions or remain steadfast in their traditions.

Chapel normally lasts between 30 minutes to an hour on a weekly basis, and usually requires four semesters worth of lectures to graduate. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, students were required to gather in the hundreds and attend in-person lectures.

Chapel courses consist of prayer and bible reflection. Speakers explain Christian values and special guests are invited to discuss personal development, often relating it to Christian doctrine.

Dancers, musicians and singers are occasionally invited to engage the students in the arts.

All students at Ewha Womans University are required to attend weekly chapel lectures. [YONHAP]

Chapel is a way to honor the Christian backgrounds of these universities through traditional religious sermons. Yonsei University, an institute that has had obligatory chapel since its establishment in 1885, describes the course as an opportunity to learn the “founding philosophy of Yonsei University.”

Ewha Womans University in Seoul has also characterized a similar mandatory course since 1888 as a method of establishing “community spirit” within its students.

As for Christianity courses, Yonsei requires its students to take a single three-credit course before graduating. The school offers several variations of the same course in English and Korean. English courses are taught entirely in the language and are open to both international and Korean students.

Makhatova said that some foreign students wrote comprehensive letters to the school administration in hopes of avoiding the programs, but to no avail.

As a Muslim student, she thought the lectures were largely pointless because she had no plans of practicing the Christian religion.

Several prestigious universities in Korea were founded by Western missionaries with the intention of increasing the country’s religious intellect. Many of its founding faculty members were theologians who went on to implement Christian doctrines and beliefs to the common curriculum.

Today, a majority of Koreans identify as non-religious, but several domestic universities continue to uphold their religious values. They do so by requiring students to take religious courses in order to graduate.

Instead of solely teaching theology, the university and its professors have attempted to diversify lesson material for students with different beliefs.

Christianity courses at Yonsei often discuss the role of religion in different social and cultural contexts such as the U.S. civil rights movement. The Bible is discussed in terms of its historical significance, like its 1,500-year assembly and accessibility after the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press.

Lee Min-hyoung, a professor of several mandatory Christian courses at Yonsei, thinks that upholding religious practices at the school is not only essential to preserving Yonsei’s spirit, but to nurturing contributive members of society.

“Understanding different cultures and ideologies is essential to becoming a well-versed intellectual,” said Lee, adding that he believes learning a religion can be separate to one’s religious background.

All students at Christian universities, religious or non-religious, would learn a lot from these practices, Lee stressed.

Still, Lee admits that he is aware of a number of students from different religious backgrounds find chapel and Christianity class uncomfortable.

In response, he has discussed different solutions to reduce the burden on these students, such as encouraging open communication for distressed students and teaching religious topics that are not specific to Christianity.

“Yonsei University is not attempting to impose Christian doctrines or convert students,” said Lee. “The purpose [of mandatory religious programs] is to provide an avenue for students of different backgrounds to interact and learn from one another.”

When asked about the current trajectory of mandatory Christianity courses at Yonsei, Lee said Yonsei’s classes have "greatly improved in terms of religious acceptance due to the efforts of the professors.”

Some level of discomfort should be expected in the pursuit of knowledge, he continued.

Sogang University in Seoul offers public mass three to four times a week at St. Ignatius Chapel. [SOGANG UNIVERSITY]

Despite the administration and faculty’s wishes to educate students under Christian values, many students remain averse to compulsory religious programs.

The same sentiment is shared by students at other Christian universities.

Kim Ju-hee, a 27-year-old alumna of Ewha Womans University who currently teaches children, lived in Guatemala for most of her life and identifies as non-religious. She was completely unaware of Ewha’s Christian background and was taken off-guard by the four semesters of chapel and one-hour Christianity lecture required from all of its students.

“I had some acquaintances with different religious backgrounds who felt very uncomfortable attending these lectures,” said Kim.

In their opinion, going to a place of worship by eight in the morning to participate in Christian activities was inappropriate, Kim said, adding that the fact that they lacked any choice in the matter was even more troubling.

Kim believes that chapel and Christianity classes teach important values, but students should still have the right to choose, essentially making these religious programs optional electives.

“Universities should have an understanding of inclusivity and be mindful of different backgrounds,” said Kim. “Otherwise, it comes off as disrespectful.”

Even Christian students disagree with labeling religious programs as a graduation requirement.

Justin Im, 20, who attends Handong Global University in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, is a devout Christian and spent most of his life in the Philippines participating in Sunday worship and attending Christian schools from kindergarten through to the 12th grade.

Regardless of his religious upbringing, Im said he is also against his university’s chapel lectures, which are mandatory for six semesters.

“Since chapel is enforced," he said, "you start to view it as an academic course instead of a religious gathering."

Church services were something that Im looked forward to throughout the week, but the scholastic repurposing has made him feel the exact opposite.

“The essence of attending church is to go voluntarily by faith, but making it a requirement only diminishes the experience for Christians.”

Choi Jo-Viviane, a 22-year-old Korean student at Yonsei who lived in China, described how she was surprised at the beginning of her first semester. She was vaguely aware of Yonsei’s Christian background, but not to the extent of requiring chapel and Christianity lectures from all of its students.

The chapel instructors “were strict about enforcing Christian values related to gender,” said Choi, explaining that instructors talked about chastity and the boundaries between men and women at one point.

“Enforcing Christian practices reflects how Yonsei does not respect other religions," said Choi.

"I cannot stand by that.”

BY STUDENT REPORTER JOO DA-HAE [kjd.kcampus@joongang.co.kr]