James Scarth Gale

James Scarth Gale: The Bridge between Korean and Western Culture

by Gloria Kim

James Scarth Gale was born to immigrant parents in Alma, Ontario on February 19, 1863. He was named in loving memory of his cousin, who died from tuberculosis. Upon graduating from the University of Toronto in 1888, he was sent by the University College Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) to overseas mission in Far East. (He later transferred to the Board of American Presbyterian Mission due to financial reasons.) James belonged to the Presbyterian Church but was entirely sympathetic to all other denominations. He was not an ordained minister, nor was he backed by a great mission board or society, but he set sail on his new adventure to Korea.

James first arrived in Korea on December 15, 1888 at Pusan. He devoted his initial days to the study of the Korean language and took a Korean name, Ki Il, out of social necessity. During his time in Korea, he got acquainted with many aspects of Korean culture and became a renowned literary scholar. He had a special love and deep respect for Korean culture and later expressed his regrets at the rapid modernization of Korea. Instead of teaching Koreans to sing hymns the western way, James honored the Korean way of chanting Christian lyrics. He worked closely with Korean literary assistant such as Yi Changjik, who helped James to understand the intricacies of Korean texts and culture.

James became a bridge between Korean and Western culture, especially through his literary works. He produced the first Korean translation of western literature, Pilgrim’s Progress, by continuing the work started by his first wife Harriet. He is also credited for the first publication of English translations of sijo (a particular type of Korean poetry). He wrote for a number of newspapers on the topic of Korea and frequently wrote articles in pseudonym. He published Korean-English dictionaries, and translated the Bible efficiently and readably. His work became an important tool for missionaries and the generation of Koreans, who widely began reading in the 1920s. Some of his work includes Korean Grammatical Forms, The Vanguard (a novel based on the Presbyterian mission in northern and eastern Korea), The Cloud Dream of the Nine, Korea in Transition, Korean Folk Tales, and History of the Korean People.

In addition to his literary work, he established a new mission station in Wonsan, Korea, which was later handed over to the Canadian Presbyterian Mission. He was a pastor of Yonmot-kol church and taught in his own house and church buildings, as well as established schools and seminary. He was the founding member of a number of organizations such as the Korean Young Men’s Christian Association and the Korea branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. Based on his record in Korea, James was ordained in 1897 by the presbytery of New Albany, Indiana. On May 31, 1904, James received an honorary doctorate of divinity from Howard University for his literary and bible translation work. Once retiring in 1927, he spent his last days in Bath, England, receiving a constant stream of visitors from Korea until his death in 1937. A scholarship in honour of the late James Scarth Gale was established through the endowment of the Estate of George Gale.

A more comprehensive biography of James Scarth Gale can be found in, James Scarth Gale and His History of the Korean People, a book edited by Richard Rutt, who was an Anglican missionary to Korea. My account of James’s life is largely based on this book.

Recommended links for more information on James Scarth Gale and his works:

Rutt, Richard. James Scarth Gale and His History of the Korean People. Seoul: Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch & Taewon Publishing Company, 1972.

Happy Birthday, James Scarth Gale (February 19, 1863 – January 31, 1937)

Gale, James Scarth (1863-1937): Canadian missionary in Korea

A Biography of James Scarth Gale and a New Edition of His History of the Korean People.

Online Books by James Scarth Gale (Gale, James Scarth, 1863-1937)