The Catholic Church in Korea dates its foundation from 1784 when
Yi Sŭng-hun returned from Beijing where he had been baptised by
a member of the resident Catholic mission. He had sought out the
Catholic priests at the instigation of Yi Pyok who, in the winter of 1777,
had been a member of a meeting of young, reform-minded Shirhak (‘New
Learning’) scholars. This meeting had been called to examine scientific,
mathematical and religious treatises written by the Jesuits in China. On
his return, Yi Sung-hun brought with him books and religious articles
which he shared with Yi Pyok, and together they began to evangelise
among their friends and neighbours. It was not very long, however, before
their activities began to meet with opposition from other Confucian
scholars and to arouse the suspicions of the authorities. In 1785 Yi Pyok
and other Christians were arrested at a meeting in the house of Kim
Pom-u, a member of the chungin class of technical specialists. Those
present were given a lecture on proper Confucian conduct and released,
apart from Kim Pom-u who was severely beaten and sent into exile where
he died from his injuries. Worse was to follow in 1791 with the execution
of Yun Chi-ch'ung and his cousin, Kwon Sang-yon, for their refusal to
perform the chesa ancestral rites for Yun's dead mother. Nevertheless the
Church continued to grow during the 1790s, and its members pressed the
bishop of Beijing to send a resident priest. This was achieved in 1795 when
a Chinese priest, Fr Chou Wên-mu, arrived in Seoul. Under his ministry,
and with the assistance of members of the laity, the Church grew from
around 4,000 believers to nearly 10,000 at the outbreak of the Shinyu
persecution in 1801. This persecution cost the lives of Fr Chou and at least
300 of the laity, but the Church survived.
Hans Küng i etyka wiary