Church in South Korea sees 24% rise in baptisms

Despite a sharp year-on-year increase, annual baptisms remain below pre-pandemic levels

The number of baptisms in South Korea increased by 24% in a year, according to statistics published Wednesday by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea. 

Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea. kallerna via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

A total of 51,307 people were baptized in the East Asian country in 2023, compared to 41,384 in 2022.

Although the yea…