Why No Scientology Center in Korea?

by Brendon Carr

I am not a member of the Church of Scientology, nor do I believe I ever will be interested in joining simply because of Tom Cruise’s membership. (I’m still angry he married Katie Holmes, a project I had been reserving to myself. Plus, they’re crazy.)

But I find it interesting and a bit disturbing that the Republic of Korea (South Korea) shares with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the People’s Republic of China a complete absence of Scientology Centers—you can verify this at the Scientology website. (Don’t ask—I can’t remember how I got there.) Scientology appears to be big in Taiwan, and also present in Japan and the Russian Far East. The ridiculously overproduced Scientology website helpfully offered driving directions from Seoul to the Vladivostok center. (Step one: Fly to Vladivostok. Step two: Buy a car.)

I feel like I have a connection to the Church of Scientology, because one of my favorite University of Washington School of Law professors, Meade Emory, in the 1980s apparently helped craft the legal framework for the Scientologists to control their assets and incidentally to harass dissenters with copyright claims. Prof. Emory was a real colorful character when I knew him in law school and a great teacher (he made tax tolerable for goodness’ sake, and we all could tell he loved the subject). I don’t know if he is, or was, a Scientologist, or whether Prof. Emory is still part of their power structure, but a lot of the dark conspiracy stuff you can find from a Google search for the name “Meade Emory” is amusing.

So, if anyone knows, why aren’t the Scientologists in this country? At the very least there should be a Scientology Center. A free society like Korea’s ought to be able to accommodate these characters too. All manner of non-mainstream (okay, nutjob) religious groups are active in Korea, including the Raelians and, of course, the Unification Church. Creepy or not, it is and always should be people’s free choice to join or not to join any religious group they want. If the conduct of the group is wrongful, the conduct can and should be sanctioned. But they should all be allowed to exist in free countries.

6 Responses to This Entry

1. jd on April 28, 2008 @ 11:48 pm

   The Unification Church is run by Koreans and really speaks to one of the average Korean’s basic needs: marriage. Who wouldn’t want to join a group that offers a quick and easy way to make mom and dad stop with all the nagging?

   The Raelians have excellent timing. They really played up the whole cloning angle when Koreans were walking tall because of their national hero, the dog vet. On top of that, the Raelians are basically a free love sex cult with many hot women. Weren’t Koreans running a lot of wife-swapping clubs not that long ago?

   What does Tom Cruise have to offer that really speaks to Koreans? Look, if Koreans want to spend money on prayer cloths and listen to stories about the Boogeyman, they can find a regular church in Korea that’ll help them out. There is no market for Tom’s brand of silliness here. Yet.

2. moonie on April 29, 2008 @ 9:35 pm

   Brendon,

   Not quite sure what you’re saying here.  Are you saying that Scientology Centers or Scientologists do not exist here because they’re not “accommodated” or “allowed to exist” in Korea?  On the one hand, I think that’s what you’re insinuating by comparing Korea to China and North Korea, but then on the other, you seem to be saying the opposite by correctly pointing out that all kinds of nutjobs are tolerated here.  Just thought it needed some clarification.

   BTW, FYI, there happens to be about 50,000 practicing Scientologists right here in Korea, or so reports wikipedia.

   Cheers,

3. Brendon Carr on April 29, 2008 @ 9:53 pm

   I don’t know what I’m saying here either—but I am really asking, rather than saying. What accounts for the absence of a Scientology Center here in Korea, especially given their wide spread across the rest of Asia ex the Axis of Evil? Korea is ostensibly, and observably, a free society—yet there is no Scientology Center. Maybe they didn’t get around to it yet, but one would imagine that 50,000 practicing Korean Scientologists would be able to put together a headquarters for their religion.

   That makes me think there is either (a) overstatement of the number of Scientologists in Korea that you found on Wikipedia; or (b) some impediment to them getting rooted here. I read that Germany, for example, and possibly France, may be considering steps to ban Scientology. Does Korea? I don’t know. I hope not; they would be in poor company if they did. North Korea and China’s religious-freedom policies are nothing to emulate.

   But maybe there is no appeal here for this religion. It sure doesn’t appeal to me. As a libertarian I support the freedom even of people who don’t appeal to me.

4. GI Korea on May 04, 2008 @ 6:18 am

   Brendon there are scientologists in Korea.  I actually had one knocking on my door three years ago.

   Back then I was able to find out there was 443 Scientologists in Korea.

5. Taewon Yun on June 05, 2008 @ 8:59 am

   Very interesting point. I was curious about the church of Scientology when I was in school (mainly because the fact that it was invented by SF writer) and I could not find much info in Korea.

   In the summer of 92, I was walking around the street of London and came across the very church of Scientology! I went in (a little bit scared) and listened to the pitch for an hour or so. What they were talking about was pretty similar to Buddhism except that they promise that I will be rich in this life instead of eternal life.

   Unfortunately for them, my dad taught me not to buy “secret of getting rich quick” type of books.

   Not to mention that they made a mistake of offering me Japanese version of the Bible, which gave me a good excuse to get out of the place.

6. Eldon Braun on July 06, 2008 @ 3:27 pm

   The figure of 50,000 Scientologists in Korea is way inflated, whether it’s in Wikipedia. That’s probably about how many active members there are on the whole planet at this point. The daughter cult, Avatar, has had some success there, likely because Koreans don’t know about the connection.

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