Seodongyo

Seodongyo ("Seodong's Teachings") is the syncretic state religion of Dankuk. Within Dankuk the religion is officially organized as the Church of Dankuk. Seodongyo is a syncratism between Sindo-Daenism, Kamism and Dranian Hosianism. The religion is also significantly influenced by Jienism and Kanzo. Much like Kanzo, Seodongyo emerged with the support of the authoritarian government, which saw the new religion as a way to further solidify ideological control over the nation. Its founder, Prince Seodong, was the cousin of Choesun I, the autocrat of the Great Kyo Empire (Dankuk).

As the state religion of Dankuk, Seodongyo was organized as the Church of Dankuk. Under this organization the central religious leadership was placed with a patriarch elected by leading religious ministers from shrines, temples, and churches throughout the religious community. Additionally, the Monarch of Dankuk was granted the title of Shinsogu of the Church, which is derived from the Kunikata for "god's employee" (神職), a Kamist religious designation, and it carried a meaning equivalent to "defender of the faith." The Church of Dankuk operates a semi-independent international organization, the International Seodongyo Community, which is responsible advancing the religion, and Gao-Showan culture, globally.

Seodongyo declares the existence of a single deity, the Heavenly Master (天主 or 하나님), though it does not outright reject the belief in alternative singular deities or even in multiple deities. The religion regards God as having no physical form of identification and God has no beginning or end. Great stress is put upon the importance of doing good deeds in life. Emphasis is put on the value of the family and community, as well as the values of justice, loyalty, wisdom, and harmony. The Seodongists also practice ancestor worship and there is a belief in kami (spirits). Kami populate the entirety of the world and, in general, are hard to precisely define. Nonetheless, they are viewed as a connection between the Heavenly Master and the natural world.

Various types of religious institutions exist in Seodongyo. There are churches, which operate in a similar manner to those in Hosianism. The churches of Seodongyo play a major role bringing together localities and in building a strong network for community services. In addition to churches there are Seodongyo shrines and temples, often coexisting with Kamist shrines. Just as in Kamism, the Seodongyo shrines serve as places of purity and are dedicated to the worship of nature and the kami that populate it. Often Seodongyo shrines house objects or texts that are sacred to either the religion or the local community.