Our Sacred Calling: A Korean Journey Toward Climate Justice

I was born in Korea and still have fond memories of my childhood. I remember visiting my grandmother’s home, where the scent of warm, cooked Korean food filled her two-room house, which had a small madang as you entered through the front gate.

What I loved most was the secret drawer in her small wooden mirror stand. It was always filled with candies that she would share, but only after I finished my meal. Those memories still bring much joy and pleasure to my soul.

Although my family immigrated to Canada in 1975 and I now teach in the United States, Korea remains my homeland. My heart, heritage, ancestors, and spiritual imagination are all tethered to Korea’s mountains, rivers, and traditions. It is a place I yearn to return to, not only to see loved ones but to reconnect with the culture, food, and history that continue to form my identity.

So it was with great enthusiasm that I joined the Rev. Fletcher Harper, executive director of GreenFaith, to visit Korea and meet ecumenical and multi-faith leaders who are actively engaged in climate justice work. GreenFaith is an international, multi-faith organization committed to building a global movement for climate and environmental justice. Their mission is clear and bold: to mobilize people of faith to create a sustainable, just, and life-giving world for all.

GreenFaith’s work is grounded in the belief that religious communities, mobilized with moral clarity, can transform public will and public policy. They empower communities to protect the Earth, confront the systems that harm it, and envision ways of living that honor all creation.

I asked Rev. Harper to share some of his reflections on religion, ecological responsibility, and the growing climate justice movement in Korea. His insights illuminate the challenges ahead. He also highlights the profound opportunities for collaboration between Korean faith communities and global partners seeking a more sustainable future.

Rev. Harper responded:

“Religious commitment to climate action continues to grow around the world, and it’s visible now in most countries. South Korea and Japan are neighbors with a fraught history, but they have increased multi-faith engagement on climate change.

“In Seoul, Buddhist, Catholic, and Protestant groups alike—the country’s three largest religious blocs—all have work underway to raise awareness and to demonstrate publicly, in good South Korean fashion, in support of government policies that are less beholden to major polluters and more reflective of the public’s needs. In Japan, even though the religious culture is much less public and activist in a Western sense, the country’s religious groups are increasingly putting climate change on their members’ radar screens, from Japan’s traditional Buddhist groups such as the Munakata Shrine’s annual eco-conference to its well-known ‘new religions’ that sprang up in the wake of the Second World War.”

Rev. Harper also reflected on the differences between Japan and Korea:

“It’s a good thing these groups are active because, in addition to a long history, South Korea and Japan share shortcomings in their climate policies. South Korea has regularly favored the short-term interests of its steel and auto industries, dancing around the emissions cuts it needs to make this year by setting a broad target range, with the upper end approaching respectability while the lower end remains seriously delinquent.

“Japan remains a large coal user. Its government and power sector bend over backwards to imagine ways to prolong the use of coal rather than aggressively deploying rooftop solar—using new Japanese perovskite solar panels, which continue to set the bar in efficiency—and developing offshore turbines in Japan’s windy coastal waters.

“GreenFaith is training Japanese religious leaders to become more vocal, organizing educational tours to coal plants in Japan and to Japan-financed plants in Indonesia, which are poisoning the land and water that local farmers and fishers use to sustain themselves. We are exploring opportunities to collaborate with the vibrant Korean religious–environmental community, where multi-faith efforts hold great promise.”

We recognize that Japan and Korea are not the only nations contributing to the climate crisis. Here in the United States, we produce a staggering share of the world’s carbon emissions, far more than what the Earth can sustain. Industrialized countries have benefited from decades of economic growth built on fossil fuels and must now take responsibility for the consequences of that legacy.

Lowering emissions is not simply a political or technological task; it is a moral and spiritual obligation. The work ahead of us is immense, requiring bold action, deep accountability, and a willingness to transform the systems that have harmed the planet and the most vulnerable communities.

Harper added, “In 2024, South Korean youth sued their government, claiming that the government’s inaction on climate change violated their constitutional rights to life, health, and a clean environment. The country’s highest court ruled in favor of the youth, ordering the government to strengthen its climate action plans.”

Thus, Korea is at a critical crossroads. As a rapidly industrialized nation facing the realities of pollution, rising temperatures, and extreme weather patterns, the country must determine how to move forward in ways that protect both people and the environment. Faith communities in Korea are stepping into this moment with courage, creativity, and spiritual conviction.

During our time in Korea, Rev. Harper and I met with Christian leaders, Buddhist monks, environmental activists, and interfaith coalitions who are dedicating themselves to the urgent work of climate justice. We heard stories of “green churches” working to become sustainable communities. Some churches are teaching environmental education, and some organizations are challenging political structures and laws.

As COP30, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, unfolded this month, world leaders gathered to confront the accelerating crisis of climate change. People of faith cannot remain silent or sit on the sidelines. The climate emergency is not only a political issue; it is also a moral, spiritual, and ethical one.

Faith leaders must stand in solidarity to amplify a unified call for justice and place moral pressure on world governments. I am grateful to organizations like the World Council of Churches and GreenFaith for maintaining a strong presence and voice at COP30. Their advocacy, persistence, and moral clarity provide a crucial countervoice to perspectives dominated by economic interests.

We must all do our part in this urgent moral and social justice struggle. As the Earth groans under the weight of climate change, we cannot remain passive or indifferent. Scripture reminds us that creation is a divine gift entrusted to our care. Therefore, individuals, congregations, governments, and global institutions must seek bold and faithful ways to protect and restore the Earth.

This is our sacred calling, and we must all act with courage, urgency, and hope.