1973 Billy Graham Crusade in Korea

Background

Billy Graham (1918–2018) was an American Southern Baptist minister. He is known as an evangelist who held large-scale evangelistic campaigns in many countries around the world. He first visited Korea in 1952, during the Korean War, and returned in 1973 and 1984.

The 1973 crusade took place after repeated invitations from Korean churches. The Rev. Han Kyung-chik served as chairman of the preparatory committee, and the campaign's slogan was "Fifty Million to Christ." The preparatory committee reportedly expected attendance of no more than 200,000 to 500,000 people. Hyochang Park and other sites were considered, but Yeouido Plaza, then a vast open space, was chosen as the venue.

Course of Events

• Regional crusades (from May 16, 1973): Before the Seoul crusade, regional crusades were held, beginning in Daejeon on May 16 and continuing in Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Jeonju, Chuncheon, Incheon, Suwon, and Jeju. According to a record published by Korean church organizers shortly after the campaign, total attendance in the nine cities exceeded 1.18 million. More than 16,000 people made decisions for Christ; that is, they decided at the meetings to believe in Jesus.
• Seoul crusade (May 30–June 3): The crusade was held over five days at Yeouido Plaza. Graham's sermons were interpreted into Korean by the Rev. Billy Kim (Kim Jang-hwan). The gospel singer George Beverly Shea, accompanied by a choir of some 6,000 voices, sang the hymn "How Great Thou Art" in Korean.
• Final day (Sunday, June 3): Attendance is estimated at 1.1 to 1.15 million. Some 40,000 of those present are reported to have made decisions for Christ.

Results and Influence

Cumulative attendance is the sum of each day's attendance. Depending on the source, cumulative attendance over the five days of the Seoul crusade is recorded at 3.2 to 3.34 million, and the number of decisions for Christ at 72,000 to over 80,000. Some tallies put total participation, including the regional crusades, at 4.4 million. The final day's attendance is regarded as the largest audience at any evangelistic meeting Graham held in his career.

Large interdenominational gatherings continued after the crusade, including Explo '74, the 1977 National Evangelization Crusade, and the 1980 World Evangelization Crusade. On June 3, 2023, a 50th-anniversary rally was held at Seoul World Cup Stadium, where Graham's son, the Rev. Franklin Graham, preached.

Assessment

Church media and those involved in the crusade regard it as a catalyst for revival in the Korean church. They also credit it with heightening interest in national evangelization and world missions, and it is frequently treated as a significant moment in the history of Korean Christianity.

However, attendance figures and numbers of decisions for Christ are based largely on the organizers' own counts, and the figures vary from source to source. When citing numbers, therefore, the source of the count should be stated. How directly the crusade contributed to later church growth in Korea, and how to evaluate an evangelistic approach centered on mass rallies, are questions that require separate examination.