Biography
Martin Luc Huin
About Martin Luc Huin
Martin Luc Huin was born in Guyonvelle, Haute-Marne, France, on October 20, 1836. He was ordained a priest on June 29, 1861, and served as a vicar at Melay and Voisey before entering the Paris Foreign Missions seminary on August 20, 1863. His move to the missionary society followed service in his own diocese rather than the beginning of his priestly training.
Huin traveled east in 1864. After reaching Shanghai, he spent the winter in Manchuria studying Chinese characters before entering Korea by sea in June 1865. The archive biography places his ministry at Seo-koui. It gives inconsistent dates for his departure from France, so the precise day remains uncertain.
In letters to his family, Huin described the earth-built, thatched house where he lived and the small room used for prayer and Mass. He wrote about paper-covered doors and windows, floor mats and heating beneath the rooms. Sitting on the floor to work, receive visitors and hear confessions was tiring for him. These are personal observations from his lodgings, rather than a description of every Korean household.
He also described wearing loose white trousers and a short jacket indoors. Outside, a dark hemp mourning robe and a broad conical hat helped conceal his European features. He had grown a full beard and wore his long, thick black hair tied at the top of his head. The letter excerpts survive here through later publications; their individual dates are not supplied.
During the persecution of 1866, Huin sought refuge at Soi-tjai. After his arrest, he was brought to Daveluy at Keu-to-ri on March 12 and taken to Seoul with Aumaitre.
A government report dated March 24 records the transfer of five condemned prisoners to the Chungcheong naval prefecture. Its list includes Huin under a Korean legal name, together with Daveluy, Aumaitre, Luke Hwang and Joseph Chang. This document records their transfer for execution; it does not certify that the executions occurred that day.
The bishops’ conference biography dates Huin’s execution at Galmaemot to March 30, 1866. He died with Daveluy and Aumaitre after less than a year of missionary work in Korea.
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