Gender Conflict in South Korean Society and Gender Injustice in the Korean Church

This study investigates gender injustice in South Korea by comparing the development of gender conflict in wider society with gendered power structures in the Korean Protestant church. Over the past decade, feminist activism has re-emerged in response to growing misogyny and gender-based violence, while antifeminist backlash—especially among young men—has further polarized public discourse. These tensions reflect deeper structural and cultural inequalities that continue to shape Korean gender politics. In contrast to society’s visible gender conflicts, the Korean church maintains gender injustice through institutional silence and exclusion. Although women comprise the majority of congregants, their representation in leadership, especially in denominational general assemblies, remains minimal. From a sociology of religion perspective, this paper analyzes how the church’s patriarchal systems not only resist gender equality but also reproduce injustice at structural and symbolic levels. Drawing on Nancy Fraser’s theory—particularly the concepts of misrecognition, maldistribution, and misrepresentation—the study reveals that both secular and religious institutions contribute to the persistence of gender injustice. By situating the Korean church within broader patterns of societal inequality, this research highlights the urgent need for theological, political, and cultural transformation to achieve gender justice.