전옥서 터

 

전옥서 터

전옥서는 형조에 속한 감옥으로, 죄인에 관한 사무를 관장했던 관서였다. 전옥서는 남자 옥사와 여자 옥사로 구분되어 있었고, 수감되는 죄수의 대부분은 상민이었다. 때에 따라 의금부나 육조, 왕실의 ㄱ뎨보를 편찬하고 왕족의 허물을 살피던 관아였던 종부시, 사헌부 소속의 왕족이나 양반, 관리도 수감되었다. 박해 시기 많은 천주교인이 형조로 이송되어 심문을 받고, 형이 집행도기 전까지 전옥서에 수감되었다. 

천주교 103위 성인 중 전옥서에서 수감되어 있다가 혹독한 감옥 생활로 순교한 성인은 이호영 베드로와 김 바르바라이다. 이호영 베드로 성인은 성녀 이소사 아가타의 동생으로 1835년 누나와 함께 체포되어 1839년 형이 집행되기까지 4년 동안의 옥고 끝에 전옥서에서 순교하였다. 성녀 김바르바라도 포도청으로 끌려가 심한 형벌과 고문을 받았으나 용감히 신앙을 고백하였고, 전옥서에서의 3개월간의 옥살이 끝에 굶주림, 기갈, 염병 등으로 순교하였다. 김대건 신부의 아버지인 김제준 이냐시오 성인도 의금부에서 형조로 이송되어 처형될 때까지 전옥서에 수감되었다. 전옥서는 1785년 명례방사건 때 김범우 토마스가 형조에 끌려가 신앙을 끝까지 지킨 이래 많은 천주교 신자들이 신앙을 지키거나 순교한 장소이다. 

 

Jeonokseo, or Prison Administration Office, was a government body of the Jeson dynasty responsible for the operation and management of the state prision and the prisoners held in it. The state prision was divided into cells for men and women. The majority of the prisoners were common people although there were also offcials, aristocrats and even royalty who were serving in various important government agencies such as the State Tribunal(Uigeumbu), Six Ministries(Yukjo), Office of the Royal Clan (Jongbusi) and Office of the Inspecgtor-General (Saheonbu). It was here in the state prison managed by Jeonokseo that many Catholics were kept before they were executed.

Of the 103 Korean martyrs canoized into sainthood, Yi Ho-yeong (Peter, 1803~1839) and Kim Barbara(1805~1839) had been kept in the state prison untile their death caused by the harsh, miserable conditions they were put in. Saint Yi Ho-yeong spent four years in the prison after being arrested with his elder sister, Saint Yi So-sa (Agatha, 1784~1839) and were tortured to death. Saing Kim Barbara was taken to the Police Agency(Podocheong) where she was also brutally tortured and punished. She was then moved to the state prison of Jeonokseo where she spent three months struggling against hunger, thirst and typhoid until her death. Neither the severe torture nor the horrible prison conditions could keep her from confessing her faith. Kim Je-Jun(Ignocio, 1796~1839), father of the first Korean priest Kim Dae-geon(Andreas, 1822~1846), also spent his last days in the state prison after he was moved from the State Tribunal(Uigeumbu) to the Ministry of Justice(Hyeongjo) where he was executed. Many early Korean Catholics who were martyred for their faith spent their last moments in the state prison of Jeonokseo following the example of Kim Beom-u (Thomas, d. 1786) who was kept in the prison after the 17985 Myeongnyebang Incident until death which he faced courageously to keep his faith.