Changwon Ungcheon Waeseong

Overview

Changwon Ungcheon Waeseong is the site of a fortress built by the Japanese army during the Imjin War on Namsan in Nammun-dong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, and it is known as the place where the Spanish-born Jesuit Father Cespedes came and stayed in late 1593, and it is listed in the Masan diocese list of holy sites/historic sites. The directory of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea lists it as one of 9 holy sites/historic sites of the Masan diocese.

History

[Construction of the fortress] The Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia explains that the construction of Japanese fortresses along the southern coast of Gyeongsangnam-do is known to have begun between 1592 and 1593. After May 1592, the Japanese army, defeated by the Joseon navy commanded by Yi Sun-sin in the sea west of Busanpo, began to build fortresses along the southern coast to support its navy and secure supply bases, and placed the main walls on a mountain summit from which the harbor could be watched. It is also said that Ungcheon Waeseong was built on Namsan in Ungcheon after Konishi Yukinaga retreated from Hanyang on April 18, 1593, but there are said to be various views about the builder. It is a fact that Konishi Yukinaga was stationed here for a long time, and his son-in-law So Yoshitoshi, lord of Tsushima, was stationed at nearby Jiseong. The Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture writes that this fortress is one of 18 Japanese fortresses built by the Japanese army along the southern coast in preparation for a prolonged war, and a place where Konishi encamped and used as his base No. 2. Catholic Press (2015) reported that, among the fortresses built during the Imjin War, it is next in scale after the Ulsan Seosaengpo Japanese Fortress, and that the Japanese army mobilized Koreans to build the fortress and made it its base No. 2 because of the advantage of easy access by land and sea. The Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia explains that Konishi chose Namsan because the terrain juts toward the beach, embraces Ungpo Bay to the north so that hundreds of ships can anchor, and made communication easy by land and easy contact by sea with Masan, Geoje, Gadeokdo and Angolpo.

[Stay of Father Cespedes] The Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia writes that on December 28, 1593, the Spanish-born Father Cespedes arrived at Ungcheon Waeseong, lived in seclusion for about 1 years and carried out religious activities including giving baptism, and judges that, because of the meaning of the first arrival of a Catholic priest in Korean history, this fact cannot be left out of the history of Ungcheon Waeseong. The Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture reports that Father Cespedes, who was then staying in Japan, came here, was active, and later returned to Japan. Catholic Press reported that Konishi Yukinaga and the Catholic Japanese soldiers who followed him brought the Jesuit missionary Father Gregorio de Cespedes in 1593 for their own religious activities, and that until June 1595 the priest carried out pastoral activities such as Mass and confession for Catholic Japanese soldiers at Ungcheon Waeseong. The “Catholicism” entry of the Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia also writes that there remains a record that Konishi Yukinaga, a Catholic, stayed at the Waeseong on Namsan in Ungcheon, sent a secret envoy to the Jesuits in Japan, had Father Cespedes dispatched, and offered Mass with the Japanese soldiers. In the same article, Catholic Press (2015) reports that there is an opinion opposing commemorating this place on the grounds that, although Father Cespedes may be the first missionary in history to set foot on Korean soil, he came for the religious life of Japanese soldiers, not for mission to Koreans.

[Withdrawal from the fortress and present condition] The Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia explains that when the Japanese army withdrew it set fire to the fortress so that the inner buildings disappeared, but even after more than 400 years had passed the walls still preserve almost their original form, so that the construction method and scale of the Japanese fortress can be examined. The Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture writes that, since there has been no extension or reconstruction, together with the neighboring Angolpo, Gadeokdo and Geojedo Japanese fortresses it has become good material for research on 16 century Japanese fortresses.

[Designation as cultural heritage] According to the Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia, Changwon Ungcheon Waeseong was designated on September 9, 1998 as Gyeongsangnam-do Monument No. 79, and on November 19, 2021 the designation number was abolished by a public notice of the Cultural Heritage Administration and it was redesignated as a Gyeongsangnam-do Monument. The Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture gives the designation date as a city/provincial monument as September 9, 1998, while in the main text it writes that it was designated as a Gyeongsangnam-do Monument in 1985, so the stated year of designation differs.

[Masses of the Masan Diocese and Cespedes Park] The Masan Diocese has offered Mass every year at Ungcheon Waeseong since 2009 (Catholic Press 2015.12.9 column). On October 31, 2015, for the 50 anniversary of the establishment of the diocese, the Masan Diocese offered an open-air mountain Mass at Ungcheon Waeseong, and the celebrant stated that Father Cespedes conveyed the hand of God and together consoled the souls of the Koreans sacrificed in building the fortress (Catholic Press 2015.11.4). According to the same column, on November 30, 2015 Changwon City opened near Ungcheon Waeseong the Cespedes Park commemorating Father Cespedes, and the opening ceremony was attended by ambassadors from 7 countries, including the Spanish ambassador, and by Bishop Ahn Myeong-ok of the Masan Diocese. Bishop Ahn Myeong-ok said to the effect that this place does not remain merely a negative structure created by the aggressive ambition of the Japanese army but is a cultural heritage in which the hand of God's truth is revealed, and Vicar General Father Bae Gi-hyeon said that the footsteps of Cespedes have value as the prehistory of Korean Catholicism. Meanwhile, poet Kim Yu-cheol, executive chairman of the Reconciliation Committee of the Masan Diocese, raised a problem with the creation of the park on the grounds that there is no record that Father Cespedes evangelized Koreans. Catholic Press reported in its article of November 4, 2015 that there are those who oppose this sanctuarization project by calling it a “religious real-estate business.”

Jurisdiction and affiliation

The directory of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea lists this place as a holy site/historic site of the Masan diocese and gives the representative address as San 211-1, Nammun-dong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do.

Related places and figures

• Father Gregorio de Cespedes (Gregorio de Cespedes): a Spanish-born Jesuit priest who came to Ungcheon Waeseong and stayed there in late 1593 (Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia, Catholic Press).
• Konishi Yukinaga: a Catholic Japanese commander stationed at Ungcheon Waeseong (Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia).
• Cespedes Park: a memorial park opened by Changwon City near Ungcheon Waeseong on November 30, 2015 (Catholic Press column).
• Ungcheon Eupseong: a Joseon-period town fortress northwest of Ungcheon Waeseong (Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia).

References and sources

1. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia “Changwon Ungcheon Waeseong”. Background of construction, stay of Father Cespedes, condition of the walls, designation and redesignation as a Gyeongsangnam-do Monument.
   https://changwon.grandculture.net/changwon/toc/GC02206231
2. Academy of Korean Studies, Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture “Ungcheon Waeseong”. One of 18 Japanese fortresses, Konishi's base No. 2, activities of Father Cespedes, monument designation.
   https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0040559
3. Catholic Press, “Sanctuarization of Ungcheon Waeseong: Was the Imjin War the Hand of God” (2015.11.4). Scale, pastoral activity of Father Cespedes (until June 1595), mountain Mass for the 50 anniversary of the establishment of the diocese.
   http://www.catholicpress.kr/news/view.php?idx=1574
4. Catholic Press, “[Editor-in-Chief Column] There Is No Need to Commemorate a Priest Who Served the Invading Japanese Army” (2015.12.9). Annual Mass since 2009, opening of Cespedes Park (2015.11.30).
   http://www.catholicpress.kr/m/view.php?idx=1815
5. Academy of Korean Studies, Digital Changwon Culture Encyclopedia “Catholicism”. Record that Konishi Yukinaga stayed at the Waeseong on Namsan in Ungcheon and had Father Cespedes dispatched and offered Mass with the Japanese army.
   https://changwon.grandculture.net/changwon/toc/GC02202030
6. Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic directory, list of holy sites/historic sites of the Masan Diocese. Registration as a holy site/historic site of the Masan Diocese and representative address.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/OnlineAddress/SearchList.aspx?cgubn=c&char=all&gubn=16&gyogu=201000024&paged=10&scnt=9&start=1&tbxSearch=