This paper discusses the life of Yi Byeok and the characteristics and aspects of the formation of Yeo Tr.Yibyeok Monghoerok. As a 19thcentury dream-journey narrative (mongyurok), Yeo Tr.Yibyeok Monghoerok is a condensed form of the genre, containing Catholic ideology and an unusual narrative structure that has not yet been fully explored in discourse. The typical characteristics of mongyurok have disappeared, and the work uniquely combines dialogues between Catholic figures with a biographical style, creating a distinctive piece.
In Chapter 2, I examined the social landscape of the late Joseon period and the acceptance of Catholicism, tracing the presence of Yi Byeok through various records of his life in Korean Catholic history. Yi Byeok greatly influenced Dasan Jeong Yak-yong academically, converted the renowned Confucian scholar Yi Ga-hwan, and played a pivotal role in converting Dasan’s brothers. Moreover, Yi Byeok served as a practical church leader in the early days of Korean Catholicism, responsible for preaching and explaining doctrines. His significance is closely tied to the ongoing beatification and canonization process of "John the Baptist Yi Byeok and 132 Companions" within the Catholic Church. Based on various historical records, it is evident that Yi Byeok could not have died as an apostate, and his lasting influence on the Korean Catholic Church is undeniable. His position within the Church, as someone who fiercely defended the truth of the faith he had voluntarily embraced through rigorous spiritual study, is highly regarded.
In Chapter 3, I explored the aspects of Yi Byeok’s portrayal, focusing on how he appears as a heavenly Taoist hermit, with a mystical atmosphere. While this may reflect the influence of secret faiths like Jeonggamrok that were popular in the late Joseon period, Yi Byeok was also praised for his deep scholarship and noble character, akin to a Taoist immortal. Such circumstances likely contributed to early Catholic believers revering him as a teacher, a fact that also led to his veneration within the Church. In this sense, Yi Byeok’s appearance as a Taoist hermit should not be seen merely as a depiction of a Taoist figure but rather as a reflection of his esteemed status within the Catholic community.
Yeo Tr.Yibyeok Monghoerok also includes prophecies about persecution, along with records of the political upheavals and natural disasters of the late Joseon period, to the extent that it can be considered a chronicle of Catholic persecution in Korea. However, aside from the events of 1846, the earlier prophecies are not predictions but rather descriptions of events that had already taken place — essentially, historical facts. The author of Yeo Tr.Yibyeok Monghoerok uses the protagonist’s meeting with Yi Byeok to restore memories of past events through allegorical prophecy.
As these past memories are revived, historical truths collide with the present moment when the protagonist awakens from the dream, creating new meaning in the context of divine judgment and discourse on societal reform. Although the protagonist’s awakened reality conflicts with the prophecy, this allegorical restoration of social and political corruption serves to critique the past and guide new perspectives.
This work is significant in that it restores past memories and generates new awareness, offering lessons through the combination of narrative and discourse within the dream-journey genre. Yeo Tr.Yibyeok Monghoerok inherits the critical consciousness of mongyurok and demonstrates cultural reception patterns similar to those found in secret faiths like Jeonggamrok, while also critiquing contemporary social issues and ideological conflicts arising from Catholic persecution. The mongyurok genre, far from being a simple fantasy narrative, serves as an allegorical tool to critique the social and political corruption of the time and foster critical thinking and new awareness of the past.