DP15640 Jesus speaks Korean: Christianity and Literacy in Colonial Korea
Author(s): | Sascha O. Becker, Cheongyeon Won |
Publication Date: | January 2021 |
Keyword(s): | Gender Gap, Korea, Literacy, Missionaries, religion |
JEL(s): | I21, J16, N35, Z12 |
Programme Areas: | Economic History |
Link to this Page: | cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=15640 |
In the mid 19th century, pre-colonial Korea under the Joseon dynasty was increasingly isolated and lagging behind in its economic development. Joseon Korea was forced to sign unequal treaties with foreign powers as a result of which Christian missionaries entered the country and contributed to the establishment of private schools. We show that areas with a larger presence of Christians have higher literacy rates in 1930, during the Japanese colonial period. We also show that a higher number of Protestants is associated with higher female literacy, consistent with a stronger emphasis on female education in Protestant denominations.