DIAP.

1: Portada
Hi! Thank you for coming today, I hope you enjoy my presentation about the Jesuit
mission in Korea. Also, I want to say that you can ask me whatever you want to know
about it after the presentation.
DIAP. 2: Índice
This is how I organized the main points: first of all, I am going to talk about the historical
background to make easier the understanding of the facts that happened at that time.
Secondly, I will introduce you to Gregorio Cespedes and why this man is so relevant in
that context. And then, I just summarize with a timeline the most important events that
happened when the first missioner arrived in Korea and a few years later. Finally, I will
mention the contributions and consequences of this arrival.
DIAP. 3: Gregorio Céspedes
He was a Spanish Jesuit priest who born in Madrid and studied in Salamanca. He also
studied theology. He arrived in Goa passing through Lisbon in 1574 and in India he was
ordained a priest in 1575; He moved to Macao in 1576 to embark for Japan. In July 1577,
together with 14 fellow Jesuits, he arrived in Nagasaki. Since then he toured several parts
of Japan, doing his evangelical mission. From 1579 to 1587 for Céspedes will be the
culmination period of his missionary and cultural work in Japan.
DIAP. 4: Período histórico de Japón, China y Corea
At the time of the first arrival of a Westerner in China, the Ming Dynasty took place, in
Japan the period (…).
China: Ming Dynasty.
Japan: 1591, Japan was unified (samurais lost their jobs because there wasn’t any
conflict or war). It was characterized by the Japanese invasions of Korea.
Korea: It was a period of 7 years between 1592 and 1598. Took place in Korea but
involved China as well, that’s why the conflict has three names depending of which
country talk about. In Korean is known as 임진왜란. The Japanese regent Toyotomi
Hideyoshi decided to conquer China, which is why he asked for the assistance of the
Joseon dynasty, to be able to pass through Korean territory. Do you know any similar
case in which one country allowed another country to pass through its territory to conquer
another? But since Korea was a vassal country of the Ming dynasty, the request was
rejected. Hideyoshi began preparing the troops and summoned the different dàimios
(feudal lords) for the invasion of the country, which began in 1592.
MAP  This is a Korean map with the different movements that took place during the
Japanese invasions of Korea. The war took place between 1592 and 1598. Between 1592
and 1593 the Míng dynasty intervenes in the conflict by sending help to King Seonjo of
Korea. 1594-1596: Peace negotiations between China and Japan took place but
negotiations were interrupted. 1957-1958: Hideyoshi, who had not been satisfied with the
results of the first campaign, ordered a new attack. However, on this occasion, the
intention to invade China was completely discarded and efforts focused on conquering
only Korea. Finally, in 1598 Hideyoshi, about to die, ordered to withdraw all troops in
Korea.
DIAP. 5: Gregorio Céspedes
He arrived Gregorio de Céspedes arrived to Busan (Korea) as the first western visitor on
December 27, 1593, and there he spent about a year. He accompanied the Japanese army
but his trip was done secretly Hideyoshi knowing the fact. He had to return to Japan when
his presence in Korea was detected. Cespedes did not come to Korea to support the war,
he had the objective of evangelize. That is because the Jesuits who were in Japan hoped
to evangelize Korea since 1566. 17 years after the arrival in Japan of St. Francis Xavier,
as evidenced by the letters addressed to the Father General in Rome. But they could not
achieve it until 1593, because Korea adopted a "closed door" policy towards the outside
world. In this sense we believe that Augustine invited the Jesuit not only to satisfy the
desire of the Christian soldiers, but also to satisfy the desire of the Jesuits to evangelize
the Korean land.
DIAP 6: Contexto histórico, línea temporal
It is not necessary that you learn the dates, I will only mention them so that you have a
small idea of what was happening at that time.
DIAP 7: Contribuciones
His four letters written in Korea have a very important historical value, because they are
the first informative notes written about Korea by a European. In the letters he talked
about the situation of the war: what was happening, the negotiations, the battles, the
deaths, etc. Thanks to these missionary writings, Korea could be known in the West in a
real and true way. And these are other examples of what has been done to commemorate
his memory:
In Seoul, at the Embassy of Spain, the Ibero-American Library was inaugurated in 1983,
with the name of Gregorio de Céspesdes.
The Spanish Government, to remember the activity of Gregorio de Céspedes, inaugurated
on November 9, 1991 a Cultural Center that bears his name in Villanueva de Alcardete,
in La Mancha, his parents' hometown.
In 2015 the “Céspedes Park” was inaugurated in Changwon, located in the south of Korea,
400 kilometers from Seoul.
DIAP 8: Conclusión
In short, it is important to highlight two things: first, the historical value of the letters
because they are direct proof of what happened in that period and, secondly, the literary
value. You must keep in mind that these letters are the first references made about Korea
from the west. This is because for a long time it was believed that the first European
visitor to reach Korean lands was the Dutch Hendrick Hammel in 1653. But Cespedes
had already visited Korea 40 years before. That’s not true anymore.
DIAP 9: Bibliografía
DIAP 10: agradecimientos