Industrial Mission

Background

When industrialization began in South Korea in the late 1950s, workers flocked to urban factories, yet the established churches did little to reach them. Around the same time, within the ecumenical movement (a movement seeking the unity and cooperation of churches across denominational lines), centered on the World Council of Churches, discussion of "Urban Industrial Mission" was spreading. This was the idea that the church should enter industrial settings and respond to labor problems. Industrial Mission in Korea is believed to have emerged from this international current, with the support of foreign missionaries.

Development

• 1957: The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (before the Korean Presbyterian schism of 1959) launched an industrial evangelism program under its Department of Evangelism, which is regarded as the starting point of Industrial Mission in Korea. After the schism, this work continued in the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap), centered on industrial evangelism in the Yeongdeungpo area.
• Early 1960s: The Korean Methodist Church began industrial evangelism in the Incheon area. American Methodist missionary George Ogle took part in this work. Other denominations, including the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea and the Anglican Church of Korea, later joined as well.
• Late 1960s: The focus of the work shifted from holding worship services and evangelizing inside factories to addressing workers' lives and working conditions. Accordingly, the name changed from "Industrial Evangelism" to "Industrial Mission" and "Urban Industrial Mission."
• 1970s: Industrial Mission organizations concentrated on worker education, small groups, and support for forming labor unions. They were involved in major labor disputes of the period, such as the Dongil Textile union conflict (1978) and the sit-in by YH Trading Company workers at the headquarters of the New Democratic Party (1979). The government and some media outlets portrayed Industrial Mission as the force behind labor-management disputes, and the pastors and staff members involved were taken into custody and questioned. George Ogle was deported in 1974 for activities connected with a political case.

Outcomes and Influence

In the 1980s, government repression continued, and a labor movement organized by workers themselves grew. As a result, the role of church-led Industrial Mission diminished. Nevertheless, Industrial Mission, together with the church's democratization movement of the 1970s, is regarded as a current that helped shape the Korean labor movement. It also influenced Minjung theology, which took the suffering of workers as a locus of theological reflection. The Industrial Mission institution in the Yeongdeungpo area has continued to support workers and carry out local mission work. In the Catholic Church, groups such as the Young Catholic Workers carried out similar activities and at times cooperated with Protestant Industrial Mission.

Assessment

Assessments of Industrial Mission vary according to theological position. The ecumenical camp, including the member denominations of the National Council of Churches in Korea, views Industrial Mission as an example of the church standing with the socially vulnerable and practicing justice. Some also regard it as a model of mission that pursued both personal and social salvation. By contrast, some conservative denominations and theologians criticize Industrial Mission for straying from its original purpose of gospel evangelism and leaning too heavily toward labor activism and political activity. This debate is connected to the broader discussion of church and politics concerning the proper scope of the church's social engagement.