Jerusalem’s Old City, divided into four quarters—Christian, Armenian, Jewish, and Muslim—is a place where each group regards it as a holy site of their own religion; in one corner, the bells of a church ring out, while in another, the Muslim call to prayer can be heard. Amid such religious conflict and turmoil, I once attended a service at a church where fewer than a dozen Palestinian-Israeli Christians worship. A Korean missionary delivered the sermon in English, which was then interpreted into Arabic by a Palestinian pastor. These people were descendants of ancestors who had lived in the region since the time of Jesus; they could be called the original Christians. What I realized then was that Christians are truly a minority, and that God is protecting them to the very end. I also found it remarkable that the Jewish people have upheld God’s Word throughout history, even after losing their nation and enduring persecution as a people. Conversely, I consider it a miracle that a people who have upheld God’s Word have not disappeared but remain in human history.
It is a remarkable chapter in Christian history that the Gospel spread from the Middle East to Europe through the Apostle Paul, then to the United States through the Puritans, leading to the founding of the United States on Christian values; and that, through the sacrifices of missionaries, President Syngman Rhee established the Republic of Korea—the only Christian nation in Asia—in Asia. Furthermore, through the film *The War of Founding*, I came to realize that those holding a leftist view of history—who argue that August 15, 1948, should not be regarded as the nation’s founding day but rather that April 11, 1919, the date of the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai, should be recognized instead—are attempting to erase that identity as a Christian nation. By employing a “pro-Japanese” narrative and prioritizing nationalism, they have portrayed Kim Gu as a leader who fought for independence and unification, while emphasizing the “elderly” Syngman Rhee over the “young” Syngman Rhee—thereby distorting history by casting him as the mastermind behind electoral fraud. This can be viewed as a clash between Christian values and anti-Christian humanist values, as well as between the ideals of liberal democracy and those of communism.
Amid this historical conflict, the economic policies of President Park Chung-hee—and the subsequent periods of economic growth under Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, who carried on those policies—coincided with a time of explosive growth for the churches. However, President Kim Young-sam’s failed globalization efforts led to the IMF crisis, and subsequently, the leftward shift of South Korea under Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, coupled with humanitarian aid to North Korea, allowed the North Korean regime to survive. Subsequently, the right wing came to power under Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, but due to the leftist forces’ agitation over mad cow disease in U.S. beef and the state affairs manipulation scandal, the president was ultimately impeached. President Moon Jae-in then took office, pursuing radical anti-U.S. and pro-China policies, and shut down Christian churches during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Still, it is fortunate that Christians opposed to the Anti-Discrimination Act gathered for the October 27 Joint Worship Service—with approximately one million people at Gwanghwamun and another million online, totaling about two million. While this number is small compared to the total population of 51 million, learning that the concentration of salt needed to make seawater salty is 3.5% made me realize just how crucial the role of Christians is in preventing this society from rotting. Meanwhile, following the declaration of martial law, news broke that the opposition party—which had impeached the president—had quietly amended the charge of insurrection in the impeachment motion. This prompted the circulation of a darkly humorous meme: it’s no different from a husband who had claimed his wife’s inappropriate behavior was grounds for divorce asking the court to omit that claim and grant the divorce quickly. It was obvious to everyone from the very beginning—even before martial law—that the very people who had been systematically impeaching the heads of state agencies and effectively plunging South Korea into a state of anarchy were the forces paralyzing the constitutional order. However, I could not help but feel a deep sense of regret when I saw politicians’ lies, the one-sided testimonies of biased individuals hiding within state institutions, media outlets mindlessly regurgitating rumors from certain independent journalists who cannot reveal their sources, and citizens being incited by such news.
However, the twist is that reports are emerging through international media outlets such as Fox, CNN, and The Washington Post regarding the commotion in the National Assembly during the state of emergency, the sudden measures taken against the National Election Commission’s offices and training center, and the fact that the slogan “STOP THE STEAL”—which former President Trump used after the U.S. presidential election to allege voter fraud—has also appeared in Hannam-dong. Furthermore, I do not believe it is a coincidence that Elon Musk—who has 200 million followers worldwide—suddenly began tweeting about the situation in South Korea, nor that he recently started following President Yoon Suk-yeol. As a result, citizens have begun to wake up, one by one, to the issue of election fairness—which had previously been dismissed as mere conspiracy theory—and evidence of the massive power structure enveloping South Korea has gradually begun to surface. Through this martial law crisis, awakened Christians have come to realize that this massive power has, over the past several decades, co-opted and secured the election of numerous politicians—regardless of whether they were conservative or progressive—and has expanded its influence by funding academia, the cultural sector, and the media.
Just as we learned from the autobiography *The Art of the Deal* that to understand President Trump, we must look not at his words but at his deals, the pieces of the puzzle seemed to fall into place as I realized that President Yoon Suk-yeol is a law enforcement expert—a former special prosecutor who was demoted after investigating a National Intelligence Service public opinion manipulation scandal and who has long investigated election-related matters. Furthermore, as I observed allegations of election interference by certain nations in other countries, I realized that “Unrestricted Warfare” is being waged not only in the United States but also in South Korea in the form of proxy wars. When I looked at politicians through this lens, I began to see the true nature of a massive evil, regardless of their party affiliation. Suddenly, it seemed clear to me why some politicians were pushing for impeachment by claiming that martial law marked the return of dictatorship, and why others—while posing as the President’s bodyguards—were arguing that the imperial presidential system should be abolished and the constitution amended to adopt a parliamentary system.
Furthermore, while major media outlets showed footage suggesting that support for and opposition to the president’s impeachment were roughly equal, I came to realize that, in reality, there were far more patriotic citizens opposing the impeachment. I even witnessed a reporter from a major news outlet—who had falsely reported in favor of impeachment while standing in front of a protest against it—being reported to the authorities by citizens, which confirmed just how biased South Korea’s media has become. Furthermore, both the religious establishment—which engages in highly political behavior while claiming to champion social justice and stand with the underprivileged—and those seeking personal gain by exploiting church members were taking advantage of the chaos to pursue only their own interests.
However, unlike the protests organized by certain labor groups, interest groups with ambiguous identities, and those with biased ideologies, a small number of Christians opposed to impeachment were voluntarily participating in rallies to defend the president. And as I saw members of the 2030 generation joining the protests to defend the president—and even Korean expatriates flying in from the United States—I found myself thinking that they might be the first generation to enter the spiritual Promised Land. As I meditated on Hannah’s prayer (1 Samuel 1:10) during this week’s special early morning prayer service, I realized that even the vow of an ordinary woman before the Lord could become a prayer that brings about God’s work. This brought to mind the image of deaconesses opposing the attempt to arrest President Yoon Suk-yeol, sitting on the streets of Hannam-dong in sub-zero temperatures of minus 10 degrees Celsius, praying with deep sorrow. I found myself wondering how the controversy over election fairness—which has been shrouded in mystery for decades—will finally come to light following the leadership transition in the U.S. presidential election, and how the counterattack against the powerful forces that have been interfering in elections worldwide will unfold. So, today I rose at dawn once again to join in the historic prayer of Christians, asking that God’s justice be swiftly established in South Korea, and began my day with vigor.
I believe that in God’s time, He will do new things and make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19)
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