Christianity’s Transformation of Korea

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 5, 1911

Christianity’s Transformation of Korea

It is indeed very remarkable to see what wonderful changes have been brought about in a few brief years in Korea, leading the people away from their long-cherished worship of idols, to the service of the true God. “In 1888 it was death for a native to be known as a Christian. The preaching of the gospel was forbidden by law; and, set up by the wayside, tablets could be seen bearing such inscriptions as these: ‘If you see a foreigner, kill him;’ ‘If you see a native reading the Christian Book, kill him.’ To-day, we are told, the baptized converts number over three hundred thousand souls; all the laws against Christianity are repealed, and there is perfect freedom. When mission work began, no word suitable for ‘God’ could be found in the language; but fixing upon its nearest equivalent, the missionaries added to it a meaning which it had never had before. Through the advent of Christianity and modern ideas, some twenty-five thousand new words have been added to the language, and to-day fourteen hundred of the two thousand schools in Korea are conducted by Christians. Lack of space forbids more extended reference here to this miracle of modern missions.”