Paul Yun Ji-Chung and 123 companions

The group of 124 martyrs of Korea, led by Paul Yun Ji-chung, includes laypeople, catechists, and a priest, put to death in hatred of the faith between 1791 and 1888. The history of this group illustrates the unique birth and growth of the Catholic Church in Korea. Unlike the majority of other countries, the Christian faith was not introduced in Korea by foreign missionaries, but by local lay scholars. The latter, having discovered Christian books in China, studied the doctrine, adopted it, and began to evangelize their own people starting at the end of the 18th century.

Among the 124 companion martyrs are prominent figures of this first generation of believers: * James Zhou Wenmo (1752-1801), a priest of Chinese origin who was the very first missionary to enter Korea secretly to administer the sacraments to the faithful. He was martyred in 1801 during the Sinyu persecution. * Augustine Jeong Yak-jong (1760-1801), a learned layman who wrote the first catechism in the Korean language (Jugyo-yoji), greatly facilitating the spread of the faith among the people. He was also executed in 1801. * Francis Yun Ji-heon (1764-1801), the younger brother of Paul Yun Ji-chung, who continued the work of evangelization after his brother's death before being martyred and quartered in 1801.

These martyrs belonged to all classes of Korean society, breaking the strict barriers of the caste system of the Joseon dynasty. Nobles, peasants, men, women, and children were united in the same faith and the same fraternal charity, offering a testimony of solidarity and radical human equality for the time.

After the canonization of the first 103 martyrs of Korea in 1984 by Pope John Paul II, the local Church wished to honor the memory of the first generation of witnesses of the faith, whose causes had not yet been introduced. In 1997, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea unified the various diocesan initiatives under a single postulation. The cause for the beatification of Paul Yun Ji-chung and his 123 companions was officially opened at the diocesan level on July 5, 2004. After the closure of the local inquiry in 2009, the file was transmitted to Rome to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. On February 7, 2014, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing their martyrdom in hatred of the faith (in odium fidei), thus paving the way for their beatification without a miracle being required.

The beatification ceremony for Paul Yun Ji-chung and his 123 companions took place on August 16, 2014, in Seoul, at Gwanghwamun Gate Square. It was presided over in person by Pope Francis during his apostolic journey to South Korea, on the occasion of the 6th Asian Youth Day. This historic event brought together nearly 800,000 faithful in the streets of the capital. The choice of Gwanghwamun Gate was highly symbolic, as this historic site is located near the former courts and prisons where many Christians were interrogated, tortured, and condemned during the 18th and 19th centuries. During his homily, Pope Francis honored the sacrifice of these martyrs, emphasizing that their victory continues to bear fruit today in the Church of Korea.

The spirituality of the 124 martyrs of Korea is deeply marked by the central role of the laity and the search for truth. Their faith developed through a rigorous intellectual quest that transformed into a living adherence to Christ. By refusing Confucian ancestral rites, they affirmed the primacy of God over the social and political structures of their time, accepting the loss of their property, their noble status, and their lives to remain faithful to the Gospel.

Their legacy remains extremely vibrant in South Korea. In March 2021, during restoration work at the Chonami shrine in Wanju-gun, archaeologists unearthed graves containing human remains. In September 2021, the Diocese of Jeonju officially announced that historical, anatomical, and DNA analyses had made it possible to formally identify the relics of Paul Yun Ji-chung, his cousin James Kwon Sang-yeon, and his brother Francis Yun Ji-heon. This historic discovery, occurring 230 years after their deaths, stirred immense emotion among Korean Catholics.

The group of 124 martyrs is liturgically commemorated on May 29, the day the Church in Korea celebrates their collective memory. Paul Yun Ji-chung is also celebrated individually on December 8, the anniversary of his martyrdom.