Kosin Presbyterian Church in Korea

The Presbyterian mission began in Korea by a medical missionary, Dr. H. N. Allen of Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. On April 5, 1885, Presbyterian missionary named H.G. Underwood arrived in Korea and the Presbyterian mission in Korea began to bloom. In January 1893, Congregation of Presbyterian Missionaries was established and on May 15, 1901, Pyongyang Presbyterian Theological Seminary was established. After few years, on September 17, 1907, the synod of Joseon Presbyterian Church was organized.

In 1910, Japan enforced annexation of Joseon and proclaimed the slogan "Japan and Korea are One" as an effort to colonize Korea and other Asian countries using the idea of militaristic imperialism. The slogan was used to force people to become "japanized", by enforcing Japanese language, shrine worship and deification of the Japanese emperor, as well as enforcing Japanese culture. Christian schools were the first victim of Japanese colonization. While Japan exclaimed that, "shrine worship is not a religious ceremony but a nationalistic ceremony", many Christian schools resisted shrine worship and voluntarily closed. The churches in Korea was the next target and starting in 1935, many Christian denominations including Seventh-Day Adventist, Methodists, Salvationists, the Holiness Church, the Anglican church and Roman Catholic Church accepted the shrine worship.

As for the Presbyterian Church in Korea, the regional synod of Northern Pyongan was the first branch to accept the shrine worship and many other synods began to follow.

In efforts to preserve the Christian faith, movement of resistance to shrine worship was formed by the group of ministers who wanted to protect the Gospel. Many ministers at Pyongyang Presbyterian Theological Seminary was displaced and the seminary eventually closed. Reverends Joo Ki-Chul, Han Sang-Dong, Joo Nam-Sun and other ministers were arrested at Pyongyang imprisonment camp and tortured. Churches in Korea lost its functionality under Japanese oppression and on August 1, 1945, all churches were combined under Japan-Joseon Christian churches. During the oppression, Joo died while resisting the Japanese enforcement and the shrine worship.

When Korea was liberated on August 15, 1945, the remaining ministers who suffered from Japanese imprisonment were released. Recognizing the state of Christianity in Korea, they decided to establish pure and conservative theological seminary built upon the foundation of reformed faith. In 1946, Han and Joo took the lead in establishing the seminary and as a result, Koryeo Theological Seminary opened.

Three pastors founded the Ko-Ryeo Seminary but the Presbyterian Church refused to recognize this seminary. Founders of KoRyu Seminary and BupDong presbytery established later, on September 11, 1952, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin).[3]

In December 1960 it was united with the mainline Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong), but it lasted until 1963 when the church withdrew from the union and returned to its original form and continues to this day. Only 150 churches remained with the Presbyterian Church (Hapdong). In 1976 a split occurred in the church, the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Ko-Ryeo Pa) was founded, but one part of this reunited with the Kosin church. The Kosin group developed steadily. The denominational headquarters is located in Seoul, South Korea. This consist a variety of offices, like General Secretary, publishing house, Department of Church Education, the Mission Training Institute.[4]

In 2002 it celebrated its 50th anniversary.[5]

• In 1965 the Presbyterian Church in Korea (KoRyuPa) was formed.
• In 1976 the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Ko-Ryu-Anti-Accusation)
• In 1980 the Korea Jesus Presbyterian Church separated from the Kosin church.