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St. Andrew Kim Taegon, first Korean priest
1821–1846; ordained 1845· Person· People
Historical recordConfirmed by archaeology, outside sources or contemporary records.
Korea's first native-born Catholic priest, ordained near Shanghai in 1845 and beheaded in Seoul in 1846 at age 25.
See it on the Bible & Christianity map →What it is
Kim Dae-geon (김대건) was born in 1821 into a Catholic family; his great-grandfather died in prison and his father was beheaded in 1839, both for the faith. At 15 he was sent to the Paris Foreign Missions seminary in Macau. Bishop Jean Ferréol ordained him near Shanghai on August 17, 1845, and Kim smuggled the bishop into Korea by boat. Arrested in June 1846 while scouting a sea route for missionaries, he was beheaded at Saenamteo by the Han River on September 16, 1846.
Why it matters
He became the symbol of Korean Catholicism and patron of Korean clergy; canonized with 102 others in 1984; UNESCO listed his 200th birthday (2021) among its commemorated anniversaries.
Life, legacy and sources
About 21 of his letters, mostly in Latin to his teachers, survive, along with Korean records of his interrogation and a map of Korea he drew for the French missionaries.
Connections (2)
▸Korean Catholic martyrs included St. Andrew Kim Taegon, first Korean priestHistorical record
The connection
Kim was born into the martyrs' story: his great-grandfather died in prison for the faith and his father was beheaded in 1839. Trained abroad to give Korea native clergy, he was caught within a year of returning and executed in 1846, becoming the best-known of the 103 Korean martyrs canonized in 1984.
When and where
Born at Solmoe, Chungcheong province, 1821; executed at Saenamteo, Seoul, September 16, 1846; canonized in Seoul on May 6, 1984.
Historical evidence
His Latin letters, Korean interrogation records and French missionary accounts document his life and death; the canonization process reviewed them.
Questions and debates
Some details of his last days, including his words at execution, come from later church accounts that may have been polished.
▸St. Andrew Kim Taegon, first Korean priest was canonized by Pope John Paul IIHistorical record
The connection
Kim, Korea's first native-born priest, was beheaded in 1846 at age 25. Pius XI beatified him in 1925, and John Paul II declared him a saint in 1984, heading the list of 103 Korean martyrs alongside lay catechist Paul Chong Ha-sang. He is the patron of Korea's clergy.
When and where
Saenamteo by the Han River, Seoul, September 16, 1846 (martyrdom); St. Peter's, Rome, 1925 (beatification); Yeouido, Seoul, May 6, 1984 (canonization).
Historical evidence
His surviving letters, trial records, testimony gathered by missionaries, and the Vatican's canonization acts.
Questions and debates
Little about this link is disputed. Devotional retellings have embellished his story over time; his own letters remain the surest guide to the man.