1784 is the date usually held for the foundation of the Korean church, symbolised by the baptism of I Seunghun in Beijing. In 1790, the Christian community of Korea sends letters to M^gr de Gouvéa, bishop of Beijing, asking him to send a priest which would be able to organise a proper Christianity linked to Rome. It is only in 1831 however that the pope charges the MEP Society with the Korean church, established as an apostolic vicariate. In 1832, Barthélémy Bruguière, coadjutor to the Siam vicar apostolic, is nominated vicar apostolic of Korea.

The year 1836 marks the beginning of the MEP activities in the country. Rapidly, several persecutions put a stop to the missionaries’ work: between 1839 and 1884, many martyrs suffer through these persecutions. During the late nineteenth century, the weakening of China, Korea’s overlord empire, followed by a call for dialogue and pressures by foreign powers force Korea to open itself to foreign trade. The king of Korea therefore decides to negotiate with foreign powers. The Franco-Korean treaty of 1886, which includes a clause on religious liberty, allows the MEP to enter a period of easier existence in Korea, which will last between 1886 and 1950. Between 1890 and 1933, the apostolate of M^gr Gustave Mutel is an opportunity for the missionaries to reinforce their action on the peninsula, which is slowly being won over by Japanese influence.

In 1948, after the war and the independence, most MEP missionaries gather in the new Daejon diocese around M^gr Adrien Larribeau. The missionaries face new difficulties with the Korean War (1950-1953), a conflict which marks the end of the mission in the North of the country. At the end of the war, the Missions Étrangères enter a new era in Korea: the MEP priests offer their services to Korean dioceses, witnessing a growth of Christianity both in numbers and influence.

Chronology

1784: date held for the year of creation of the Korean Church

1^st of September 1827: the congregation Propaganda Fide puts the Missions Étrangères de Paris in charge of the Korea mission.
Barthélémy Bruguière, first vicar apostolic

1839: martyrdom of Jacques Chastan and Laurent Imbert

1846: expedition of vice-admiral Cécille; martyrdom of Korean priest André Kim
Jean Ferréol, vicar apostolic

1857: 1^st synod of the Korean Church. Establishment of a seminary in the Gangwon region
Approximately 23,000 Christians in Korea

1866: martyrdom of bishops Siméon Berneux and Antoine Daveluy, and of seven missionaries; expedition of vice-admiral Roze
Félix Ridel, vicar apostolic

1886: Franco Korean treaty; MEP printing press in Seoul
39 missionaries, 11 Korean priests and approximately 42,000 Christians in Korea
Gustave Mutel, vicar apostolic

1905: Korea falls under Japanese domination

1911: foundation of the Daegu apostolic vicariate; Florian Demange, vicar apostolic
Adrien Larribeau and Jean Mousset, vicars apostolic

1942: Paul Roh, first Korean bishop

1948: North-South division of Korea

1950: 150 ecclesiastical casualties during the war. 6 MEP priests are deported to North Korea.

1960’: the function of the MEP fathers changes, they are placed at the service of Korean dioceses.
René Dupont, bishop of Andong-si