Yi Jon-chang : The First Korean Apostle

Chapter I. From Yeosaul to Nokam Jeongsa: To Seek the Human Path
Chapter II. The Jueosa Scholary Gathering and the Founding of the Dongji Fellowship
Chapter III. The Death of Yi Byeok and the Rise of Catholicism
Chapter VI. The Jinsan Incident and the Formation of Catholic Communal Villages
Chapter V. The Cheonan Confinement and the Last Words

Jon-chang prays,

‘Heavenly Lord, thank you.
I have learned a lot, felt much, and have experienced many joys. My joy has flourished because I have had the opportunity to believe in you. I have received so much support from so many people around me. It is all thanks to you, dear Lord.
Father, if I may ask for just one thing… Please ensure that I fulfill my dream in my next life. Please allow me to help build a country where no one starves, and where people can freely worship you. This is the promise I made with Brother Yi Byeok as well as with my friends in the Dongji Fellowship, with the late King, and it is what I owe to others. Please ensure that those who have died for you in this
country have not died in vain.
If you give me such an opportunity, I will gladly endure any suffering, even the punishment of being consigned to Hell after death.’

The caged cart passes Cheonsan Samgeori and heads towards Gongju. A pregnant woman, holding the hand of a young boy, chases after the cart with much difficulty. It must be Sun-i and Do-yeon. Unable to catch up with the moving cart, they fall farther and farther behind. Gradually, they recede from his vision.

편집자 주
『The First Korean Apostle―Yi Jon-chang』 sheds compelling new light on a pivotal yet mysterious figure in the history of Korean Catholicism. Set against the vivid backdrop of late 18th-century Joseon, author Jeung Dae-yeung vividly reconstructs the life of Yi Jon-chang Ludovico, whose journey symbolizes the profound struggle of intellectuals caught between Confucian tradition and the transformative wave of Western thought. Highlighting Joseon’s unique embrace of Catholicism without foreign missionaries—a remarkable achievement rooted in local determination and sacrifice—this meticulously researched and beautifully crafted novel invites readers to reflect deeply on the choices that define us and the paths we ultimately follow. It is a powerful exploration of faith, freedom, and human courage that resonates far beyond its historical setting.