YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3111, 29 October 1913, Page 73

YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

At the men’s meeting on Sunday afternoon Mr K. K. Lomas, who is now proceeding to Korea to undertake educational mission work as the agent of the Victorian Presbyterian Church Mission Board, gave a short account of the missionary activity in Korea. He said Korea was a small country lying between China and Japan, and whilst smaller than New Zealand it had a population of between 12,000,000 and 13,000,000. Until 1895 it was under Chinese government, but after the China-Jnpancso war it was declared independent. A few years later Japan took charge of the country, organised its affairs, and the country came under Japanese control. From 1600 till 1700. ambassadors were sent yearly to Poking with tribute money. Here they met missionaries who secured their interest by gifts of telescopes, eye-glasses, and other curiosities. The Koreans took back with them a number of books on the Christian religion, and for years those books contained the only literature on the subject in Korea; but a' Korean nobleman, having studied them, asked his friend, >ho was going to China, to secure all the information he could about the new religion. In Japan the Christian religion had 150 years of freedom before the authorities took exception to it, and commenced persecutions. Jn Korea persecutions fell on the nexy faith after one year, and it was practically wiped out. The doctrine, however, took hold of the people again, and by 1800 there were 10,000 converts. On the death of the King, the Child King’s grandmother became Regent and, by torture and beheading, systematically the now sect. They secretly sent to China for help. A Frenchman named Brugincre attempted to reach them, but died on the Korean border. His friend who went after aim arrived too late to help him, but, taking up hie work, he got through a drain pipe in to a border town, where ho was ultimately joined by two others. These three men, in the guise of mourners, travelled Korea, and after five vciirs there were 9000 Christians in Korea. The authorities once more became alarmed and. by fearful atrocities and persecutions, again, to all appearances, exterminated the sect. In 1842 the opium war with China

and the opening of the Treaty Porte were vaguely heard of in Korea, because it was the custom to behead strangers. Many individual efforts were made to organise the Christian religion in Korea, bait dire results followed, and it was not until after the Japan-Ohinese and the Japan-Ruesian wars, when treaties were signed and the country became more open, that any marked progress took place. Now there are 450 missionaries and over 200,000 converts. The Roman Catholic- Church at Seoul is the most advanced church, but at the Presbyterian Centre they have a church of 1500 members, and they have had 1100 people at a mid-week prayer meeting. Dr John R. Mott, who was recently in Korea, said it was the key of the East. Thp Chapman-Alexander mission was there in 1909, and the churches are now endeavouring to secure one million converts within the next 10 years. The Koreans say they are going to be the centre of Christian activity in_ the East, and they are establishing stations wherever the Koreans emigrate to. It is now recognised •by the authorities that to win Korea is to win the East, and every effort is being centred on this progressive little country.