The Catholic Church in South Korea (called Cheonjugyo, Korean: 천주교; Hanja: 天主教; lit.

Religion of the Lord of Heaven) is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.

[2] Spanish Jesuit priest Gregorio Céspedes was possibly the first Catholic missionary in Korea, said to have arrived in Busan on 27 December 1593.

It was in reaction to promises of tax exemptions by lay-assistants and desecration of "spirit-shrines" by Catholics, after the arrival of two French priests to Cheju.

[9] Part of this growth can be attributed to the Church's relatively positive perception by the general public because of its role in the democratization of South Korea, its active participation in various works of social welfare, and its respectful approach to interfaith relationship and matters of traditional Korean spirituality.

As a result, South Korean Catholics continue to practice ancestral rites and observe many Confucian customs and philosophies.