20세기 초 南京 한인교회와 한인사회－『基督申報』를 중심으로－

Abstract

This study examines articles published in "The Christian Messenger (基督申報)" that chronicle the Korean Church in Nanjing, providing a rich tapestry of reports and news from China to Korea during the 1920s. These writings are invaluable for researching the history of Korean students in Nanjing, the development of the Korean Church, and the dynamics of the independence movement. The study delineates the summaries, contexts, and authorship of the articles concerning the Korean Church in Nanjing as featured in "The Christian Messenger," and delves into the transformation of the Korean Church and the broader Korean community in Nanjing, with a particular emphasis on the narratives presented in these articles. From 1922 to 1927, "The Christian Messenger" published a series of 15 articles on the Korean Church in Nanjing. These pieces encompassed the historical trajectory of the Church, petitions dispatched to the Korean religious diaspora, the circumstances of Korean students, and accounts of the Church and Korean populace in Nanjing amidst wartime. The predominant contributor was Pastor Jang Deokro (張德櫓) of the Korean Church in Nanjing. Originating from Pyeonganbuk-do, he sought refuge in Shanghai post the March 1st Movement, engaging with the provisional government and ecclesiastical activities, before relocating to Nanjing to spearhead the Korean Church and nurture the local Korean community. The impetus for these publications was the surge in Korean students attending Christian educational institutions in Nanjing in the early 1920s, which subsequently catalyzed a petition movement by the Korean Church in Nanjing directed at the Korean religious community. This increase in student numbers, fueled by an educational zeal in Korea, mirrored trends in other major Chinese urban centers like Beijing and Shanghai. Predominantly, the Korean inhabitants of Nanjing were students from these Christian institutions. Many Korean youths, navigating the constraints of colonial rule, transited through China on their educational journey to the United States. The narrative of the Korean Church in Nanjing is intertwined with this epoch of Korean student history in the city. Commencing in the spring of 1915 with a handful of students from Jinling University (金陵大學), the Church functioned for 13 years until 1927. With the escalation in the Korean student population, the initially student-centric Church confronted various challenges. Jang Deokro, through "The Christian Messenger," disseminated news and fervently petitioned for support from the Korean religious community, thereby laying a foundation for sustained development. The dispatches to the Korean religious community regarding the local Church and the Korean situation were serialized in "The Christian Messenger." Prominent members and deacons of the Korean Church in Nanjing, including students from esteemed institutions like Nanjing Theological Seminary (金陵神學), were instrumental in establishing and leading organizations such as the Young Korea Academy (興士團), Dongmyeong Academy, and the Korean Student Association. Post-autumn 1924, Nanjing found itself in the vortex of conflict among regional warlords and the national revolutionary movement against imperialism and warlordism. "The Christian Messenger" vividly relayed historical episodes not accessible in other sources, including accounts of Korean survival during the Northern Expedition's takeover of Nanjing in 1927 and interactions with Korean officers who had joined the revolutionary forces. Nevertheless, following the Northern Expedition's occupation, the Korean Church and the predominantly student-based Korean community in Nanjing embarked on a path of dissolution amidst ongoing unrest.