The Roman Catholic Church in South Korea is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.
There are over 3.5 million Catholics in South Korea - over 7% the population. There are 17 dioceses including two archdioceses, plus the territorial abbey of Tokwon.
Catholicism was first introduced in Korea in the late 16th century by Korean envoys to China, who would return with books from that country. Among these, there were books authored by missionaries. It would be around the 18th century that Catholicism came to expand its influence in Joseon society. It was around this time that some intellectuals had begun to look for new teachings as an alternative to Neo Confucianism. Catholicism came to enjoy a high degree of interest, and some intellectuals who sought to lead the country in a more proper direction accepted the Catholic faith. When the number of converts began to increase rapidly, however, the Joseon government began to persecute Catholics. This persecution became even worse in 1863, when the father of the young king came to power and continued until 1876, around the time Joseon opened herself to the Western imperial powers. The Korean Catholic Church grew rapidly in the wake of the Korean War (1950-1953).
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