A married Korean laywoman of about forty-two, put to death at Seoul’s Small West Gate on the same September day in 1839 as several fellow Catholics.

Saint Magdalena Pak Pong-son died at Seoul’s Small West Gate on 26 September 1839, a married Korean Catholic laywoman of about forty-two. She was one of several Catholics executed at that site on that same day, part of the sustained crackdown that marked the Gihae persecution. Little else of her life survives beyond her name, age, and the date and place of her death. She is honored among the 103 Martyrs of Korea, beatified in 1925 and canonized together in 1984.

Quick Facts

• Country/Region: South Korea
• Died: 26 September 1839, Small West Gate, Seoul (age approx. 42)
• Venerated as: Lay martyr; married laywoman
• Beatified: 1925; Canonized: 1984
• Feast day: 20 September (with the 103 Martyrs of Korea)

Who Was Saint Magdalena Pak Pong-son?

Magdalena Pak Pong-son was a married laywoman of Korea’s Catholic community, executed at the Small West Gate in Seoul on 26 September 1839 at about forty-two years old. She died on the same day as several other Catholics executed at that site, suggesting she was part of a group brought to execution together after a shared period of imprisonment.

Historical Setting

Executions during the Gihae persecution were frequently carried out in batches, with prisoners held together, interrogated together, and put to death on the same day once the authorities judged them unwilling to recant. The Small West Gate saw repeated use for this purpose throughout the latter half of 1839.

Why the Church Remembers Saint Magdalena Pak Pong-son

The Church remembers Magdalena Pak Pong-son as one of a company of believers who faced execution together, their shared date of death testifying to a solidarity forged in shared imprisonment and shared conviction. Her witness is inseparable from that of the companions who died alongside her.

Canonization and Feast Day

Nearly six decades separated her death in 1839 from her formal canonization in 1984, though Rome had already beatified her and her companions in 1925 under Pope Pius XI.

What Catholics Can Learn Today

Pak Pong-son’s shared execution date is a reminder that faith is often lived and defended in community, not isolation. Her example encourages Catholics to seek out and rely on the support of fellow believers, especially when faith is costly.

A Prayer to Saint Magdalena Pak Pong-son

Saint Magdalena Pak Pong-son, who stood firm alongside your companions at the Small West Gate, help us to find strength in Christian community and to support one another when faith demands courage. Amen.

Sources

• Roman Martyrology
• Vatican.va — canonization of the 103 Martyrs of Korea (1984)
• New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia — Martyrs of Korea