WYLIE H. FORSYTHE: REVOLUTIONIZING LEPROSY TREATMENT IN MODERN KOREA
WYLIE H. FORSYTHE: REVOLUTIONIZING LEPROSY TREATMENT IN MODERN KOREA

Summary/Abstract: Under Japanese imperial rule in the early 20th century, Korean people with leprosy lived in resignation, accepting death as inevitable and life as social outcasts with little hope for the future. The Japanese colonial government had no intention of caring for them. However, a „miracle‟ manifested itself among these leper patients. An American missionary, Wylie H. Forsythe, ignited a „revolutionary event‟ that began to improve the lives of lepers in Korea – changing the attitude and practice of dealing with lepers among missionaries and Koreans simultaneously. Thus, the main thesis of this study is to prove that Forsythe‟s influence, broad and deep, inspired a national movement to establish a permanent dwelling place, equipped with healthcare, for lepers. In addition, this paper will address the harmonious possibility of co-existence between particularism (Protestant Presbyterian Christianity) and universalism (the general, yet crucial values of humanity) by examining the life of Forsythe.

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