THE TRANSFORMATION OF A NATION--KOREA
The Palestine of eastern Asia is Korea. While called the "Land of the
Morning Calm," it has been the battleground of the eastern world for
centuries. Japan on the east has looked upon Korea as a "sword pointed
at her heart." China on the south has always felt that Korea practically
belonged to her, while the Great Bear on the north has looked longingly
for ages toward this coveted land. The same can be said of Manchuria as
well.
Until recent years the world knew but little of this country. It was
really a "Hermit Nation." The people lived in walled cities and allowed
no outside people to come in. Less than a half century ago signboards
could be seen along the highways upon which was written: "If you meet a
foreigner, kill him; he who has friendly relations with him is a traitor
to his country." It is said that they actually kept the country along
the sea shore barren and unattractive while in the interior the people
lived on the fat of the land. The mountain peaks were great beacon
towers lighted up every night to signal to the capital that no danger
threatened and all was well along the borders.
In area, Korea is about as large as Minnesota. The population is more
than fifteen millions. Except in the northern part, which is as cold as
Minnesota, the climate is delightful. Nearly everything that will grow
in Japan will grow in Korea. The surface is largely mountains and
plains. In the mines are gold, copper, iron and coal, as well as other
minerals. The silk industry is becoming one of great value and although
every mountain forest has been cleared, some paper is made.
Perhaps in no other country in the world has such an effort been made to
keep men and women apart as in this strange land. In Seoul, the capital
city, they used to toll a bell at eight in the evening which meant that
men must go indoors and let women on the streets. Blind men, officials,
and certain others were exempt. Any man with a doctor's prescription was
allowed on the streets, but so many of these were forged that much
trouble resulted. At midnight the bell tolled again and after that hour
men could circulate on the streets freely without danger of arrest.
The people in Korea nearly all dress in white no matter what their work
may be. Men and women dress much alike. A curious custom among married
women is the wearing of waists that expose the entire naked breasts.
This is all but beautiful and as some one says, gives the appearance of
a shocking show window. The theory is, so they say, that to cover the
breasts is to poison the milk. No man really amounts to much in Korea
until after he is married, but that is largely true in our country.
There, however, silence is the wife's first duty. Marriage customs are
much like those in Japan where parents make the matches. It is said that
often the husband never hears the voice of his wife until after marriage
and even then she keeps silent for as long as a month.
The Korean people have some happy times together in spite of some of
these strange customs. One of their national festival days is called
"Swing day." Swings are prepared nearly everywhere and people drop their
work and swing. The Koreans are different from any other people in the
far east and when they play they play with all their might. Men and
boys love to hunt the swimming holes along the streams and they seem to
enjoy this sport as do our own men and boys in America.
While Korea has been a battleground for ages yet it was opened up to
modern civilization by Japan something like America, through Commodore
Perry, opened up Japan. Later on Korea paid tribute to China. The great
crisis came in 1894 when the battle royal was waged between Japan and
China for this land. On September 15th of that year a great battle
occurred on land and two days later, in the mouth of the Yala River
occurred what is said to be the first great naval battle of history in
which modern warships were used. In this battle the Chinese fleet went
to the bottom of the sea and soon Port Arthur was besieged and taken and
the Japanese army started across the country with the cry, "On to
Peking." This opened the eyes of the Chinese and Korea was surrendered
and was practically annexed by Japan and its name changed to Chosen.
Since that time Korean civilization has gone forward by leaps and bounds
and is fast becoming a country that has to be reckoned with. The story
of Japan's dealings with Korea during these years contains some mighty
dark spots. These things have aroused the indignation of the whole
civilized world and the end is not yet.
To plant the seed of Christianity on Korean soil has required a great
effort and the story of the transformation of this nation that has
occurred within the past forty years is as thrilling as can be found in
the history of modern missions. It was the pleasure of the writer to
travel to the far east with one who has been on the field in Korea for
twenty-five years. Thirteen of these years were spent in the city of
Pyeng Yang which became the scene of one of the greatest revivals in all
the history of the Christian church.
At the time that Mr. and Mrs. Swallen, who were sent as missionaries by
the Presbyterian church (Mrs. Swallen was my traveling companion), to
Pyeng Yang, it was said to be the most wicked city in Korea. So
frightful were the conditions that boys in their play would often drag
the corpse of a person who had died during the night through the streets
the next day, unmolested. It is almost impossible to believe the story
of things that occurred almost daily in this city.
The first building of the mission was but eight feet square, not much
larger than a storebox. As at that time men and women were always
separate in public gatherings, the men met at one hour and the women at
another. Soon the building was doubled in size. When the Swallen's took
charge the mission was called the Central church. Then came the great
revival wave and the church grew to a great congregation. A new building
seating between five and six hundred was erected and before it was
finished it was too small. About one hundred members then withdrew to
form another congregation in another part of the city. A little later
another hundred started still another congregation.
As the Central church building was even yet far too small they erected a
great building that will seat two thousand. The interest was so great
that other congregations had to be formed and at the time Mrs. Swallen
told me this wonderful story, out from this little store-box mission
seven great congregations had been formed in different parts of the
city. Besides this the movement spread to the country and nearly thirty
congregations had grown from this central mission.
Then came the great revival of 1910 which attracted so much attention.
These people started the cry, "A million converts in one year." The work
was systematized. Bible classes were formed and every Christian became a
real missionary. Volunteers were called for, who could give one or more
days to the work. Nearly everyone volunteered and during the first three
months it was estimated that seventy-five thousand days of personal work
was promised. Great earnestness and enthusiasm were manifest everywhere.
The pastor of this Central church and one of his elders formed the habit
of going to the church every morning at dawn for prayer. This soon
became known and others wished to join them. One Sunday morning the
pastor announced that all who wished to do so might join them the
following morning and the bell would be rung at four thirty. At one a.
m. the people began gathering and at two o'clock more than one hundred
were present. For four mornings these meetings were kept up and between
six and seven hundred were present each morning. On the fourth morning
the pastor asked how many would give one or more days of service and
every hand went up, more than three thousand days work being promised.
The secret of this mighty revival seems to have been caused by the study
of the Bible and prayer. Everyone carried a New Testament. Bible
training classes were formed and sometimes two thousand men actually
gathered to study the Bible. In the churches in Korea, even yet men and
women sit apart from each other. A petition divides the building but
both men and women can see the minister. Men keep their hats on in
church, but all, both men and women, take off their shoes before
entering. To see these shoes, or clogs, is quite a sight. They are
placed in racks made for that purpose, each having their own particular
place in the rack.
As might be expected trouble over shoes is not unheard of. Some of the
women who are not over scrupulous sometimes take the best pair of shoes.
In fact this custom became so universal that the women were taught to
make and carry with them to church a small muslin bag. On reaching the
church the women now take off their shoes, place them in the bag, and
take them into the building with them. All, both men and women, sit on
the floor. In some of the churches now small mats are piled high at the
door and each takes one of these to sit on. One remarkable feature of
these Korean churches is that each church is self-supporting from the
beginning. Instead of leaning upon others they are taught to depend upon
themselves.
The World's Sunday School Convention was recently held in Tokyo. A
significant thing about the invitation cabled to this country for this
convention was the fact that it was signed by Japan's leading captain of
industry and the Mayor of Tokyo as well. A Business Man's Sunday School
Party had toured both Japan and Korea before this, however. In almost
every one of the forty cities visited this party was met by governors,
mayors, chambers of commerce, boards of education, railroad officials,
as well as Christian workers and the friendly attitude of Japan toward
America was manifest in every possible way, at the very time too when
the California legislature was stirring up so much trouble between the
two nations.
But the greatest demonstration of all on this entire trip was that made
in Seoul, Korea. The day was perfect. The great throng marched to the
parade grounds, a Sunday school banner leading the way. Only members of
Sunday schools and officials were admitted and fourteen thousand seven
hundred Sunday school workers, by actual count, went into the grounds.
It is said that the Japanese officials who for the first time witnessed
an array of the Sunday school forces of Seoul looked troubled. It was in
the month of May and the bushes of the old palace yard were abloom in
white and red. As the great multitude sang the Christian hymns in the
Korean language the very buildings almost trembled.