The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Korea

The Seoul Korea Temple

As of April 2013, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) reported 85,628 members, 16 stakes, six districts,and 128 Congregations (83 wards^[1] and 45 branches),^[1] four missions, and one temple in South Korea.^[2]

History

Korea was introduced to the LDS Church by church members serving in the U.S. military during the Korean War.

The first Korean member of the church was Kim Ho Jik, who joined the church in July 1951 while obtaining his doctorate at Cornell University.^[3] After finishing his doctorate, Kim returned to Korea and served as the Minister of Education in the Syngman Rhee administration. As an influential figure in education and the community, he served in the church and contributed immensely to the growth of the LDS Church in Korea.

During the Korean War, Korean citizens who worshiped with U.S. military servicemen at LDS Church services in Pusan and Seoul began to be baptized members of the church.

Elders Don G. Powell and Richard L. Detton were the first Mormon missionaries in Korea; they arrived on April 20, 1956.

In 1967, the first Korean-language version of the Book of Mormon was published.

The LDS Church has 450 full-time missionaries serving in four missions in South Korea.

In 2005, the church changed its name in Korea from "말일성도 예수 그리스도 교회" to "예수 그리스도 후기 성도 교회".

Membership history

Year	Membership
1954	64
1964	1,800
1975	9,000
1983	28,795
1990	59,000
1999	71,166
2008	81,251
2012	85,041

Missions

• Korea Busan Mission
• Korea Daejon Mission
• Korea Seoul Mission
• Korea Seoul South Mission (Created July 2013).^[4]

Temple

April 14, 1985, the Korean Temple of the church was dedicated. In the LDS Church, there is a distinction between a meetinghouse and a Temple. By 1985, there were numerous meetinghouses but only one temple in Korea.

	37. Seoul Korea
	Location: Announcement: Dedication: Coordinates: Size: Style:	Seoul, South Korea 1 April 1981 14 December 1985 by Gordon B. Hinckley 37°33′32.24519″N 126°55′52.68360″E / 37.5589569972°N 126.9313010000°E 28,057 sq ft (2,607 m^2) and 112 ft (34 m) high on a 1 acre (0.4 ha) site Modern adaptation of six-spire design - designed by Church A&E Services and Komerican Architects

Notes

1. LDS Meetinghouse Locator. Nearby Congregations (Wards and Branches).
2. LDS Newsroom (Statistical Information)
3. Palmer, Spencer J. "Kim Ho Jik" in Garr, Arnold K., Donald Q. Cannon and Richard O. Cowan, ed., Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 2000) p. 613
4. New mission presidents by area for 2013

References

• Roy, Denny (July 1988). "Kim Ho Jik: Korean Pioneer". Ensign. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved 2006-10-30.
• Palmer, Spencer (October 1997). "Pioneering in South Korea". Ensign. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved 2006-10-30.
• Ricks, Kellene (July 1992). "Korea: Land of the Morning Calm". Ensign. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved 2006-10-30.
• Hee-chul Seo, "The Church in Korea—Gospel Light Shines through Hardship", Liahona, September 2014

External links

• LDS Newsroom: Country Profile: South Korea
• Deseret News 2010 Church Almanac (Republic of Korea)
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Official Site - South Korea (Korean)
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Official Site - Worldwide (English)
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Visitors Site