Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us and Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong

Stand In The Gap With Us and Saints Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, and Companions 9/20/2023

Saint Andrew Kim Taegon (August 21, 1821 – September 16, 1846); Saint Paul Chong Hasang and Companions (d. between 1839 – 1867)

In 1846, St. Andrew Kim Taegon was arrested once again and sentenced to death for his faith. He was executed by beheading at the age of 25, becoming one of the first Korean martyrs. His unwavering faith and devotion to spreading the Gospel, even in the face of extreme persecution, earned him the title of saint.

Saint Paul Chong Hasang is considered a leading figure in the revitalization and growth of the Church in Korea. Despite severe hardship and persecution, he kept his faith and served as a sterling example of piety for others.

The first native Korean priest, Andrew Kim Taegon was the son of Christian converts. Following his baptism at the age of 15, Andrew traveled 1,300 miles to the seminary in Macao, China. After six years, he managed to return to his country through Manchuria. That same year he crossed the Yellow Sea to Shanghai and was ordained a priest. Back home again, he was assigned to arrange for more missionaries to enter by a water route that would elude the border patrol. He was arrested, tortured, and finally beheaded at the Han River near Seoul, the capital.

Andrew’s father Ignatius Kim, was martyred during the persecution of 1839, and was beatified in 1925. Paul Chong Hasang, a lay apostle and married man, also died in 1839 at age 45.