Exploring Long-Run Cultural and Economic Impacts of Religious Development Organizations Within Affiliated Populations.

Religious aid and development charities are quite numerous in the USA. However, it is unclear what the long-run economic and cultural impacts of religious philanthropy are within the recipient nation's affiliated population. To begin answering this question, this study employs descriptive methods by examining educational outcomes among Protestants in South Korea, following a 50-year effort by Protestant missionaries to establish formalized schools throughout the Korean Peninsula. Using modern data, the study finds a persistent, positive relationship between identifying as a Protestant and years of education across two datasets following South Koreans in different age cohorts. This relationship holds over the creation of the highly centralized South Korean education system, and the average years of education doubling over age cohorts in the sample. In addition to finding higher levels of education, the study finds that Korean Protestants are more likely to hold office or professional jobs but do not earn higher household incomes. Further indicating persistence, the study finds a cultural tie between current Korean Protestants and missionary aid based on the nation to which Korean Protestants feel closest to. Much of the observed economic relationship can be explained through religious attendance; however, the cultural missionary tie appears to be driven by Protestant affiliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]