K-pop: a global genre performed by Christians?
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Marissa Rodriguez
Editor’s note: This article is Part 2 of 2 in our K-pop series running from December 2025-January 2026, rediscovering K-Pop through the Catholic worldview. Enjoy!
Korean Popular Music (“K-pop,” as it’s widely known) has positively transformed my life in ways I could have never imagined. I have traveled across the country for concerts, met new friends from all over the world, opened up my palette to a new cuisine, and even taken up my third language. I have always been interested in learning about global cultures, and my interest in Korean culture is the current chapter of my life’s story.
K-pop is not what you think of when the idea of a global genre of music performed and promoted by Christians comes to mind. However, you would be surprised by how much the two are related! Though South Korea is religiously diverse, its growing Christian population makes it worthy of note.
One example of this phenomenon is the debut solo album “The Firstfruit,” by Canadian-born singer, songwriter, and rapper Mark Lee of K-pop group NCT 127. Lee is no stranger to his faith and often publicly thanks God for the opportunities he has been given, whether through written album notes or speeches while accepting awards on a national stage. Raised in Toronto by Christian parents, Lee has confirmed that he was named after the Gospel of Mark. He has a strong prayer life, regularly praying before eating and before concerts, with fellow members Doyoung and Haechan joining in the pre-concert prayers. He encourages fans to pray, challenging them to grow in strength in their own practice. His album title directly references Proverbs 3:9, which tells us to “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your produce.”
Lee is far from the only one who demonstrates his faith to the world: among them are SHINee’s Lee Tae-min, ATEEZ’s Jeong Yun-ho, Stray Kids’ Felix and Han Jisung, MAMAMOO’s Hwasa, and more. Each of these artists has a large global platform, so their influence is important and widespread.
An altar server in his youth, ATEEZ’s Yun-ho (whose baptismal name is Stefano) is known to put God first in big life moments. He visited a cathedral in California to pray for fans’ happiness and a successful performance before each of their two weekend sets at the world-famous Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, where ATEEZ was the very first K-pop boy group to perform. He has also attended Mass in the U.S., Korea, and Italy, accompanied by the CEO of KQ Entertainment, the group’s company. Their CEO is also religious, sharing not only a business connection but a deeply personal one as well.
The Catholic Church in South Korea has experienced significant growth over the past few decades, with over 5,000 priests serving across all dioceses, though that of the capital of Seoul is the largest. With the ordination of 26 priests in February 2025, the Archdiocese of Seoul ushered in the “era of 1,000 priests.” In fact, in August 2027, the next World Youth Day will be held in Seoul. This represents a milestone achievement for the small country, demonstrating the growing Catholic population. I am eager to see how the burgeoning community gets involved in the event as time draws nearer! In the meantime, the ways that K-pop artists live out their faith in the spotlight can serve as an inspiration to Christians around the world.
