7 December 2009
Seoul, South Korea
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Seoul National Cemetery to pay respect to Dr. Frank Schofield, a Canadian missionary and educator.
Speaking before the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea earlier in the day, Prime Minister Harper recognized Dr. Schofield as a visionary.
“He became a powerful voice for freedom, democracy and human rights in Korea during the Japanese occupation,” said the Prime Minister. “He took up the cause of Korean independence with such passion that he is the only Westerner buried in the Patriots’ section of the national cemetery.”
Dr. Francis “Frank” William Schofield (1889-1970) was an Ontario veterinarian and teacher who came to Korea in 1916 as a Presbyterian missionary. As a prominent supporter of a 1919 independence declaration, he travelled the country in support of the cause, was imprisoned by the Japanese colonial authorities and eventually deported to Canada. Upon his retirement, he returned to Korea. He is the only Westerner and one of only three foreigners to be buried in the Seoul National Cemetery.
Established in 1955, the 343-acre national cemetery is the resting place for some 165,000 Korean military and civilian heroes and martyrs, particularly those connected with the founding of modern Korea, the resistance to Japanese occupation (1910-1945) and the defence of the nation during the Korean War.
