Exhibition at holy site highlights Catholic presence in Korea

The highlights of the exhibition are letters that Korean Catholics sent to the Holy See in 1811 and 1824 and papal documents issued by Pope Gregory XVI in 1831.

The Korean Catholics sent the letters to the Holy See requesting a priest who could administer baptism in Joseon where they continued religious activities amid persecution.

The letters prompted Pope Gregory XVI to designate Joseon as an apostolic vicariate. He also sent Bishop Barthelemy Bruguiere as an apostolic vicar to Joseon, according to the papal documents.

The exhibition also includes a 1942 papal document issued by Pope Pius XII appointing Korean Bishop Roh Ki-nam as the first apostolic vicar of Korea, which was then under Japanese colonial rule. Roh's appointment also served as a beacon of hope for the Korean Catholics who feared all the priests could be replaced with Japanese, according to the museum.