In the trial stage, Minjung theologians presented their theology to the rest of the world and applied their theology to the political complications of the 1980s. Finally, in the completion stage (which is ongoing), Minjung Theology began to receive world recognition, has likely contributed to the democratization of South Korea, and has witnessed the election of a president closely associated with Minjung Christianity.
I have chosen not to focus as much on the political activities of those associated with Minjung Theology as much as the relationship between the ideas of its theologians and others associated with Minjung Christianity. While Minjung Theologians certainly were not the only ones active in the democratization movement and were not a dominant or even significant portion of the Korean Christian church, their actions themselves are significant enough to warrant attention. As they elevated and extended the spiritual discourse of their time, they concretely applied this spiritual discourse to the political circumstances of their time and the time to come.
Part 1 Conception: Premillenial Preparation for the Dawn of a New Age.
Kil Seonju, whom some scholars have recognize as the 'father of Korean Christianity,' was not a Minjung Theologian but developed an interpretation about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ that would later prove influential to those pursuing Minjung as a Theology. In 1907, Kil became the first ordained Korean minister and helped lead the Great Revival Movement in the same year. He also kept the spirit of the Great Revival alive by arranging day-break prayer meetings, which became a lasting unique tradition of Korean Protestant culture. Although Kil was wary about applying Christian doctrine to politics, he nonetheless participated in the March 1st independence movement of 1919 against the Japanese and faced two and a half years of jail time as a result of this participation.