The anti-Catholic policy, which began in the spring of 1866, became more severe after the General Sherman Incident (August 1866), the Byeong-in Yangyo (October 1866), and was further entrenched when in 1868 German merchant Ernst Oppert attempted to take hostage the bones of the Daewongun's father in order to force him to open Korea to trade;[4] and even further so after the 1871 American attack of Gwanghwado,[5] all of which strengthened the Heungseon Daewongun government's isolationist and anti-Catholic policies.
[6] In 1831, the Vatican designated Joseon as an independent diocese and in 1837, appointed Laurent-Joseph-Marius Imbert (who had been serving in China) to be Vicar Apostolic of the Catholic Church in Korea.
In 1864 (the first year of King Gojong's reign), when Russians came to Gyeongheungbu and demanded to trade, government officials including the Daewongun were surprised and embarrassed, but were helpless in coming up with countermeasures.
That is, if they could form a tripartite alliance of Korea, France, and England, they would be able to block Russia's southward expansion policy, and they thought that if this was accomplished, they would also be able to obtain religious freedom .
The French Catholic missionaries, including Bishop Berneux, were not interested in politics and thus had no diplomatic value, while the Russians' border crossing and trade demands, which had been such important issues in the court, came to be thought of as unfounded concerns as time passed.
The ruling class also opposed the expansion of Catholicism, which they regarded as " a heretical teaching that advocated heaven and hell and tyrannized the people," and furthermore, due to the Catholics' slow actions, incompetent mediation, and irresponsible remarks, rumors that "even Unhyeongung Palace is frequented by Catholics" spread throughout the capital,[9] leading the government of Prince Daewongun to believe that the hoped-for results of this policy were not achievable.
At that time, the persecution of Catholics was again becoming an issue in the Qing Dynasty because of its having been invaded by Western Powers, and Prince Daewongun reached a point where he did not want to take the risk of jeopardizing his political base.
In October 1866, the Byeong-in Yangyo (the French expedition to Korea) occurred,[11] and in May 1868, the German Ernst Oppert robbed the tomb of Prince Namyeon, the father of Heungseon Daewongun, and the persecution intensified.
The warships passed by Mapo ferry terminal (Yanghwajin) and Seogang around September 26, then attacked Ganghwa Island and plundered before withdrawing in November.
A partial list of the 103 martyrs is given at Korean Martyrs#Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, and 101 Companions, In Joseon, nine out of 8,000 Catholics and 12 French missionaries were executed, but a survivor, Father Ridel escaped to Qing and delivered news of the persecution to Pierre Gustave Roze, commander of the French fleet stationed in Tianjin, which led to the Byeong-in Yangyo that occurred in November of that year.
[8][21][22][23] The Byeongin Persecution was a famous event even to Westerners, to the extent that British geographer Isabella Bird Bishop described Heungseon Daewongun in her book " Korea and Her Neighbors" as the person who made Joseon a nation of martyrs through the martyrdom of Christians .