Catholic Persecution of 1801
Encyclopedia
The Catholic Persecution of 1801, also known as the Sinyu Persecution (신유박해, 辛酉迫害), was a mass persecution of Korean Catholics ordered by regent Dowager Queen Jeongsun
during King Sunjo of Joseon
's reign on April 8, 1801 (the 26th of the 2nd lunar month).
Events leading up to the execution include the "Hwang Sa-yeong Incident". Church leader Hwang Sa-yeong wrote a letter that was both critical of the Joseon government and also advocated a plan to ask for a Western ship to come to Korea in an effort to aid the persecuted Catholics. The letter was intercepted on its way to Beijing. This enraged the reclusive government and Hwang was later executed.
Not all Catholics were executed, however. Some 199 were exiled and were both ridiculed and watched closely for the remainder of their lives.
Queen Jeongsun
Queen Jeongsun was a Queen consort of Korea as married to King Yeongjo , and the regent of Korea from 1800 to 1805 as the guardian of her minor step great-grandson, Sunjo of Joseon...
during King Sunjo of Joseon
Sunjo of Joseon
Sunjo was the 23rd king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty.He was born His Royal Highness Prince Yi Gong, the 2nd son of King Jeongjo by his concubine, Lady Subin....
's reign on April 8, 1801 (the 26th of the 2nd lunar month).
Events leading up to the execution include the "Hwang Sa-yeong Incident". Church leader Hwang Sa-yeong wrote a letter that was both critical of the Joseon government and also advocated a plan to ask for a Western ship to come to Korea in an effort to aid the persecuted Catholics. The letter was intercepted on its way to Beijing. This enraged the reclusive government and Hwang was later executed.
Not all Catholics were executed, however. Some 199 were exiled and were both ridiculed and watched closely for the remainder of their lives.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- Korean MartyrsKorean MartyrsThe Korean Martyrs were the victims of religious persecution against the Catholic Church during the 19th century in Korea. At least 8,000 adherents to the faith were known to have been killed during this persecution, 103 of whom were canonized en masse in 1984.-History:Catholicism had entered...
- Christianity in KoreaChristianity in KoreaThe practice of Christianity in Korea revolves around two of its largest branches, Protestantism and Catholicism, accounting for 8.6 million and 5.1 million members respectively. Roman Catholicism was first introduced during the late Joseon Dynasty period...
- SeohakSeohakSeohak was the introduction of technology, philosophy and most prominently, Catholicism and Western ideas to Joseon Korea in the 18th century. It is also occasionally referred to as Cheonjuhak which means 'Heavenly Learning'.-History:...
- Queen JeongsunQueen JeongsunQueen Jeongsun was a Queen consort of Korea as married to King Yeongjo , and the regent of Korea from 1800 to 1805 as the guardian of her minor step great-grandson, Sunjo of Joseon...
Further reading
- The Founding of Catholic Tradition in Korea, ed. by Chai-Shin Yu (Mississauga: Korean and Related Studies Press, 1996). ISBN 0968107222
- Jai-Keun Choi, The Origin of the Roman Catholic Church in Korea: An Examination of Popular and Governmental Responses Catholic Missions in the Late Chosôn Dynasty (Cheltenham, PA: Hermit Kingdom Press, 2006). ISBN 1596890649
External links
- History of the Asian Missions - Introduction of Catholicism into Korea
- Short biography of James Zhou Wen-mo, born 1752, executed in 1801, from koreanmartyrs.or.kr.