A Study on the Characteristics of Dioceses in Korean Catholic Church: Focusing on Archdiocese of Seoul and Diocese of Cheju

Is the Korean Catholic Church a single religious organization? Of course not. However, not only Korean society but also academia have regarded Korean Catholic church as a single religious organization. This study attempted to show that the Korean Catholic Church is not a single religious organization and it is a group of autonomous community with different characteristics for each diocese. So this study emphasized the existence of local churches in the Korean Catholic Church. I analyzed the Bishops annual pastoral letters and policies of Cardinal Soo-Jung Yeom(Archdiocese of Seoul) and Bishop U-Il Kang(Diocese of Cheju). Cardinal Yeom has been interested in the inside of Church. The pastoral policies of Archdiocese of Seoul such as the Seosomun Historical-cultural Park Project have reflected Cardinal's interest. This resembles closed church type. This type is a type that prioritizes the interests of the Church and members of the Church, giving greater attention to things internal to the Church than to the outside world. In this type, there is a strong tendency to emphasize prayer life, inner peace, and church events. This type is similar to the world view that the Catholic Church had shown before the Second Vatican Council. As a result of this pastoral policies, Archdiocese of Seoul(closed church type) has strengthened the unity of believers. But it has conflicted with Korean Society. Meanwhile Bishop Kang has been interested in the outside of Church. And the pastoral policies of Diocese of Cheju such as the Anti-Naval Base Campaign in Jeju have reflected Bishops interest. This resembles open church type. This type emphasizes the public role of the Church, considering the problem of the outside world as a problem of the church. It emphasizes the church's interest in social issues such as labor, environment, and the socially disadvantaged. This type is similar to the world view that the Catholic Church has pursued after the Council. As a result of this pastoral policies, Diocese of Cheju(open church type) has promoted social credibility, however caused conflict among believers. As such, both the Archdiocese of Seoul and Diocese of Cheju had different characteristics depending on the tendency of the bishop. And they were bringing the opposite result. In Conclusion, I confirmed that the Korean Catholic Church is not single religious organization but a group of dioceses with different characteristics