Biography
Benedicta Hyon Kyong-nyon
About Benedicta Hyon Kyong-nyon
Benedicta Hyon Kyong-nyon grew up in a Catholic family in Seoul. Her father, Paul Hyon Kye-hum, died during the persecution of 1801, and her brother was Charles Hyon Song-mun.
After her husband died, Benedicta returned to her family and helped support them through sewing. She taught people learning Catholicism, encouraged those who had stopped practicing and cared for sick people. Bishop Laurence Imbert appointed her a catechist.
During the persecution of 1839, she helped collect accounts of the martyrs at Imbert’s request.
After her arrest, officials tried to force her to reveal her brother’s hiding place. She refused despite severe punishment. The church biography records a letter to Charles but states that it has not survived. She was executed outside Seoul’s Small West Gate on December 29, 1839.
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