Mission life: THE KUKMIN DAILY

Memory of “Prison Camp Saint” Revived After 65 Years

2017-07-24 17:24

The life of Maeng Ui-sun (1926~1952), who is considered a 20th century saint, and who became the main character in writer Jeong Yeon-hui’s novel “My Cup Runneth Over,” has been revived after 65 years. His handwritten diary, covering a three-month period in 1952, has been published as a book titled “Way of the Cross” (Hongsungsa Press, cover photo). Namdaemoon Church (Rev. Son Yun-tak), where Maeng Ui-sun served during the 1940s as a teacher for the middle school department, held a worship service on July 23 to commemorate the publication and to extol Maeng’s life. Seven of his former students, who learned about the Gospel from him back in the 40s, took part in the worship service and testified about Maeng Ui-sun’s image and his teachings.



*On July 23 at the Namdaemoon Church History Hall, followers of Maeng Ui-sun, who collapsed and died during his ministry to Korean War prisoners, reminisce about their former teacher as they look at articles he left behind.


In Maeng’s diary, readers can meet the image of the young seminarian as he evangelized inside the shabby prison camp, caring for prisoners including Chinese Communist soldiers, though he was under threat of assassination and lacked sufficient food or sleep. Undeterred by the hopeless life in the prison camp, he confessed in his writing, “Truly, whether in times of peace or in times of trouble, God always grants abundant, extraordinary grace.”

Maeng, a student at Joseon Theological Seminary when the Korean War broke out, was on the road as a refugee when, due to a misunderstanding by the US military, he was interred in Busan’s Geoje-ri prison camp. He declined opportunities for release and worked to spread the Gospel among the war prisoners; and at the age of 26 his life came to a close.

Reporter Narae Kim (narae@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)
Photo by intern reporter Shin Hyeon Ga


Full Story in Korean:
65년만에 되살린 ‘포로수용소의 성자’: ‘내 잔이 넘치나이다’ 실존인물 맹의순 육필일기 ‘십자가의 길’ 남대문교회서 출간 기념 예배

Popular Articles

Total Mission Kuki
Yoido Full Gospel Church

Banners

2013 WCC Myungsung church