While Christians all over the world just celebrated Christmas, North Korea may apparently be secretly honoring the season as 2016 marked the anniversary of a great Christian martrydom on the banks of the Taedong River in Pyongyang.

It has been 150 years ago since the death of the Welshman Robert Jermain Thomas, one of the brave missionaries who brought Christianity to the land of Korea.

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While his death was celebrated in churches in Cardiff and Seoul, it was not the case in Pyongyang, where he was martyred.

Who is Robert Jermain Thomas?

Robert Jermain Thomas was a Welsh Protestant Christian missionary who served with the London Missionary Society in late Qing Dynasty in China then developed a strong desire to share the good news to the people of Korea.

However, Korea was closed to foreigners at that time because of the government's fear of foreign influence. Thomas had just received a letter informing him of the death of his wife Caroline Godfrey from miscarriage, but it did not stop him from attempting to share the gospel.

How did Thomas die?

It was Thomas second missionary journey to Korea when he took a job as an interpreter on an armed American trading ship with the General Sherman who later on who initiated hostilities between the Korean government and Christian community by firing cannon and guns thus resulting in seven deaths and five wounded.

This hostility led Governor Gyu-Su Park of Pyong-An Province to declare that General Sherman was heading an enemy vessel and ordered his troops to prepare for battle. Governor Park launched a burning boat which set General Sherman's shi on fire and ked to the death of his crew. Thomas was one of the members of his crew.

There are varying accounts about how Thomas died.

In another version of the story, Thomas abandoned the burning ship and was captured by hostile troops on shore. But before he was killed, he allegedly gave a Bible to his executioner.

Thomas Influence and Impact

Thomas' sacrifice in bringing the gospel to Korea has not been forgotten especially in South Korea where Christianity thrives.

According to the BBC, Gi Jung Song,  Korean pastor of the International Church in Cardiff said, "Korea was in darkness spiritually, and this young man from Wales brought the Bible."

Thomas was killed soon after his arrival but his death influenced Korea as the person who killed him became a Christian, and his house became a church.

Pyongyang became a strong Christian city with a hundred churches 15 years later. A revival of Christian belief in Korea in 1907 echoed the Welsh Religious Revival of 1904.

An island in the wide Taedong River in Pyongyang is the site (as the Koreans term it, "Mr. Thomas' Resting Place") of Thomas' grave.

The BBC reported that Christian activist group, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, published a report in September 2016, which said: "Among other basic human rights denied to the people of North Korea, freedom of religion or belief is largely non-existent. Denial of this right has occurred since the 1950s, and the current leader, Kim Jong-un, continues to violate citizens' religious freedom."

The group said that the regime claims there are about 500 unofficial churches in North Korea where people worship privately. Many who attempted to take Christianity into North Korea found themselves behind prisons doing hard labor after being threatened with execution.

The Welshman missionary Thomas was not the last Christian martyr in Korea.

TagsRobert Jermain Thomas, North Korea Christian Martyr, Pyongpang, Christian Martyrdom, South Korea