Protestant evangelicals in South Korea wield outsize political power

WITHOUT THE Christmas tree and wooden archway covered in Bible quotations, the entrance to the Church of Love in Seoul’s Gangnam area could be mistaken for that of a fancy shopping mall. A sky-bridge connects the megachurch’s two buildings, which occupy an enormous block. Inside, corridors are lined with polished stone and walls are decorated with abstract art and heart-shaped neon signs. A cavernous underground prayer hall can seat 9,000. On Sundays it is packed.

Just round the corner is South Korea’s supreme court, which says the church has no legal right to much of this space. It ruled last month that the government of Seocho district, where the church is located, had abused its power by leasing land to allow the church to extend its below-ground footprint. Seocho’s then district chief, who is now a national legislator, has said he was lobbied by senior politicians to grant the lease. It was approved in 2010 when the president was Lee Myung-bak, a Protestant who flaunted his religion (he is currently in jail for unrelated corruption). The Church of Love may have to spend tens of millions of dollars to demolish the prayer hall. Or, as many observers believe, it may find a way of avoiding that.