ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the chaotic and tragic period between the liberation and the cease-fire of the Korean War. Churches and Protestant institutions received great favors from U.S. military rulers, which helped them to reconstruct their organizations. But the experience of the Japanese colonial rule posed many difficult problems. Protestant leaders actively engaged in politics and nation-building. Most supported Syngman Rhee and his decision to establish a South-only government rather than a unified government of all of Korea. They also supported his war efforts during the Korean War. The North Korean Church supported Kim Il-sung, declaring a “holy war” against American imperialists. During the war, the Korean Church served as a channel of international relief for people suffering from war.
