“Wanju Iseomyeon Chonam Iseongji, the Most Important Site in Joseon Catholic Church”

Wanju-gun Hosts 2nd Academic Seminar on Chonam Yi Holy Site...Highlighting the Historical Significance of Martyrdom

[Wanju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Han-ho] It has been claimed that Jeollado, including Chonam Iseongji in Iseo-myeon, Wanju-gun, was the most important place in the Joseon Catholic Church.

Wanju-gun, the National Wanju Cultural Heritage Research Institute, and the Honam Church History Research Institute of the Jeonju Diocese of the Catholic Church jointly held the 2nd academic seminar on Chonam Iseongji titled “Re-examining the History of Chonam Iseongji and Enhancing Its Status as Religious Cultural Heritage” on the 31st.

At the seminar, Professor Kim Su-tae of Chungnam National University presented on the topic “The Lives, Faith, and Martyrdom of the Blessed Yun Ji-chung, Kwon Sang-yeon, and Yun Ji-heon,” stating, “The believers in Jeollado, where the first martyrs appeared during the Shinhae Persecution (1791), discussed the issue of where and how to build churches,” and emphasized, “The subsequent ‘Petition for Western Ships’ promoted by the faith community in Jeollado arose from a shared desire to make the Joseon Catholic Church a more complete church through the recruitment of Western missionaries and bishops and the establishment of churches.”

The ‘Petition for Western Ships’ refers to the 1796 petition by Joseon Catholic believers, including Yun Ji-heon, to the bishop in Beijing, requesting Western ships for the recruitment of Western priests and bishops.

Professor Kim also presented differences in the acceptance process of Catholicism among the three blessed martyrs who laid the foundation of faith in Jeollado and Yu Hang-gum, asserting, “Yun Ji-chung was the first to learn about Catholicism, and he understood that the acceptance of Catholicism was something that no one could substitute for him except himself.”

Regarding the refusal of Confucian ancestral rites, which triggered the Jinsan Incident (Shinhae Persecution) in 1791, the first Catholic persecution case in Korea, Professor Kim emphasized, “The refusal of Confucian ancestral rites was based on Catholic doctrines studied and read together by Yun Ji-chung of Jinsan and Yu Hang-gum of Jeonju,” and “It is a clear fact that the refusal of Confucian ancestral rites allowed them to break away from the traditional Catholicism of the time.”

Lee Seok-won, research director at the Suwon Church History Research Institute, presented a summary of related records under the theme “Research on the Collection, Burial, and Relocation of Martyrs’ Remains during the Catholic Persecution Period.”

Lee stated, “Through the data, we confirmed 273 martyrs, including cases where remains were collected and buried as well as cases where remains were not collected,” and emphasized, “Based on this foundational research, we hope that full-scale research on the collection, burial, and relocation of martyrs’ remains will be conducted in the future.”

Meanwhile, Chonam Iseongji in Wanju attracted great attention last year when the remains and relics of Korea’s first Catholic martyrs were discovered after more than 200 years.

The remains of three martyrs were confirmed: Blessed Yun Ji-chung Paul and Blessed Kwon Sang-yeon James, who were martyred during the Shinhae Persecution (1791), and Blessed Yun Ji-heon Francis, who was martyred during the Shinyu Persecution (1801). The remains were enshrined in the catechism hall of Chonam Iseongji.

Wanju=Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Han-ho stonepeak@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.