SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Young Korean conservatives and Christians mourned U.S. evangelist Charlie Kirk in a subdued manner, even as his memorial service in the U.S. drew elaborate tributes and the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday. The muted reaction in the country comes as political scandals involving conservative leaders and religious figures continue to weigh heavily on the community following the impeachment of a conservative president.
Kirk had visited Korea just days before he was shot dead on Sept. 10, speaking to young Koreans at the far-right "Build Up Korea 2025" forum.
Park Jun-young, a Yonsei University student and vice president of Freedom University, a conservative youth group, said he was devastated by the loss, recalling how impressed he had been by Kirk’s address in Seoul.
"He gave great hope to Korea's freedom-loving youth," Park said. "We will never forget his sacrifice."
His remarks prompted an outpouring of online sympathy. One commenter wrote, "The left worldwide fears young conservatives' awakening and resorts to extreme measures like assassination. But we will not be intimidated."
Still, the mourning for the young activist — hailed by President Trump as a "warrior for freedom, a friend, and a man who loved America with all his heart" — remained politically low-key in Korea amid the backdrop of scandals surrounding conservative and religious figures.
Seoul National University set up a memorial site where Christians and students could pay their respects to the evangelist. At a memorial gathering in Seoul, Birhane, a 40-year-old member of the New Creation International Church from Ethiopia, said he came to share hope through the Gospel. "There are many people who feel hopeless, even driven to suicide," he said.
For others, Kirk's death was a reminder of the dangers of extremism itself. Lee Sung-jun, a 22-year-old student at Seoul National University, said he had not been familiar with Kirk but looked into his background after the assassination.
"I felt he was politically extreme, but violence cannot be justified," Lee said. "Killing someone is another form of extremism. Rather than responding to extremes with extremes, we should learn from this and avoid such confrontations in Korea."
He added that the tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for healthier political dialogue at home. "We need discussions that find common ground, not blind allegiance to parties or politicians," he said.
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