ped es ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁Korean ▁pen ins ula ▁and ▁gave ▁the ▁bapt isms ▁to ▁dying ▁children , ▁as ▁a ▁Spanish ▁Jes uit ▁historian ▁assert ed ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁c ited ▁here ). ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Japanese ▁invas ions ▁of ▁Korea ▁( 1 5 9 2 – 9 8 ) ▁Japanese ▁leader ▁Kon ishi ▁Y uk in aga ▁married ▁a ▁Korean ▁Christian ▁woman , ▁who ▁had ▁adopted ▁Julia ▁as ▁her ▁name . ▁Mac au ▁received ▁an ▁infl ux ▁of ▁African ▁slaves , ▁Japanese ▁slaves ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Christian ▁Korean ▁slaves ▁who ▁were ▁bought ▁by ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁from ▁the ▁Japanese ▁after ▁they ▁were ▁taken ▁prisoner ▁during ▁the ▁Japanese ▁invas ions ▁of ▁Korea ▁( 1 5 9 2 – 9 8 ) ▁in ▁the ▁era ▁of ▁H ide y oshi . ▁However , ▁Catholic ism ▁( and ▁Christian ity ▁in ▁general ) ▁in ▁Korea ▁more ▁generally ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 4 ▁when ▁Y i ▁Se ung - h un ▁was ▁bapt ized ▁while ▁in ▁China ▁under ▁the ▁Christian ▁name ▁of ▁Peter . ▁He ▁later ▁returned ▁to ▁Korea ▁carrying ▁religious ▁texts , ▁and ▁bapt ized ▁many ▁fellow ▁coun tr ymen . ▁The ▁Church ▁in ▁Korea ▁continued ▁without ▁formal ▁mission ary ▁pri ests ▁until ▁a ▁Chinese ▁priest , ▁Zh ō u ▁W én m ó ▁ ▁arrived ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 4 . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁was ▁target ed ▁by ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁the ▁Jose on ▁D ynast y ▁chief ly ▁for ▁the