Religion1839

Gihae Persecution

Under Heonjong the Pungyang Jo regime executed three French priests who had entered secretly, along with many Korean Catholics, and issued a royal edict condemning Catholicism.

Bishop Laurent Imbert, French missionary executed in the 1839 persecution
Unknown author · Public domain · Source

Bishop Imbert and Fathers Maubant and Chastan were executed at Saenamteo, and many believers including Jeong Ha-sang died; Jeong left a written defence of the faith addressed to the chief minister.

The persecutions ran 1791 (Sinhae) → 1801 (Sinyu) → 1839 (Gihae) → 1846 (Byeongo, martyrdom of Father Andrew Kim Dae-geon) → 1866 (Byeongin), the last becoming the pretext for the French expedition of 1866.

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States and rulers at the time: Joseon — Heonjong
France
Places: Saenamteo

People

Heonjong1827 – 1849
monarch · Twenty-fourth king of Joseon, enthroned at eight while the Pungyang Jo and Andong Kim clans fought for power; the 1839 persecution took place in his reign
Laurent-Joseph-Marius Imbert1796 – 1839
related figure · French bishop of the Paris Foreign Missions Society who entered Korea secretly in 1837 and was executed with Fathers Maubant and Chastan in 1839
Kim Dae-geon (Andrew Kim Taegon)1821 – 1846
related figure · First Korean Catholic priest, trained in Macau and ordained in Shanghai, executed in the Byeongo Persecution of 1846

Before and after

Earlier: 1818 Mongmin simseo completed
Later: 1844 Kim Jeong-hui’s Sehando (Winter Scene)