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{{Short description|Canadian missionary (1863–1937)}}
'''James S. Gale''' (February 19, 1863 – January 31, 1937) was a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] missionary, educator and Bible translator in Korea.
 
In old [[Sino-Korean vocabulary|Sino-Korean]], he was known as ''Ki Il'' ({{Korean|hangul=기일|hanja=奇一}}).<ref>{{Citation |last=고 |first=영근 |title=한영자전 (韓英字典) |work=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0061840 |access-date=2024-08-22 |publisher=[[Academy of Korean Studies]] |language=ko}}</ref>
==Life==
The main source for information about the life of James Scarth Gale is the extensively researched ''Biography'' written by [[Richard Rutt]] that forms part (pages 1–88) of Rutt's edition of Gale's ''History of the Korean People'' (published in Seoul by the [[Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch]], 1972, 1983). Most of what follows is based on Rutt's account.
 
==Early life==
James Scarth Gale (in modern Korean 제임스 스카스 게일, in old Sino-Korean characters 奇一) was born February 19, 1863 in [[Alma, Ontario]], Canada. He married twice:
Gale was born on February 19, 1863, in [[Alma, Ontario|Alma]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]. His father John Gale was a [[Scottish people|Scottish]] [[Scottish Canadians|immigrant]] who moved to Canada in 1832. His [[Pennsylvania Dutch]] mother Miami Bradt was from [[Hamilton, Ontario]]. Together they had six children, of which James was the fifth.<ref name=":0">{{Cite thesis|last=Yoo|first=Young-sik|title=The Impact of Canadian Missionaries in Korea: A Historical Survey of Early Canadian Mission Work, 1888-1898|date=1996|degree=Ph.D.|publisher=University of Toronto|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/NQ27810.pdf|pages=137-218, 490-93}}</ref>{{rp|137–138}}
*April 7, 1892 to Harriet E. Gibson Heron, the widow of [[John W. Heron]], M.D., also of the American Presbyterian Mission, North, who had died in Korea on June 26, 1890. Harriet Gale died on March 29, 1908 aged 48.▼
*April 7, 1910 to Ada Louisa Sale (born in Cheshire, England 1871). Her father, George Sale, was a businessman in Japan.
 
In 1882 Gale entered St. Catharine’sCatharine's Collegiate Institute, [[St. Catharines, Ontario]]. From 1884 to 1888 Gale studied arts at the [[University of Toronto]],<ref name=":0" />{{rp|138}} including the summer of 1886 at the [[Collège de France]], Paris on a language course.<ref name=":0" />{{rp|142}} During his first year of study he heard [[Dwight L. Moody]] preach and was deeply impressed.{{Citation Onneeded|date=March graduation,2018}} AprilGale 12,graduated 1888 he was appointedwith a missionaryB.A. offrom Toronto University'sthe [[YMCA]]University andCollege, wasToronto|University sentCollege toof Korea.the OnUniversity Novemberof 13, 1888 he set sail from [[VancouverToronto]], arriving in [[Pusan]]1898.<ref onname=":0" 12 December, from where he took a coastal vessel to Chemulpo, present [[Incheon]]./>{{rp|138}}
 
== Career ==
In 1889 he visited Haeju, in [[Hwanghae]] province and from there moved to Sollae (often called Sorae) village, in Jangyeon District, Hwanghae from March to June. This village was home to [[Seo Sang-ryun]], one of the first Korean Protestants, and his brother who had been baptized by [[Horace Grant Underwood]]. From August 1889 to May 1890 he lived in Pusan. In 1890 he taught English at the "Christian School" (예수교 학당). In February 1891 he and [[Samuel A. Moffet]] visited [[John Ross (missionary)]] (who had first attempted to translate the Bible into Korean) in [[Mukden]], [[Manchuria]] and returned to Seoul in June.▼
After graduation, on April 12, 1888, he was appointed a missionary of Toronto University's [[YMCA]] and was sent to Korea.<ref name=":0" />{{rp|490}} On November 13, 1888, he set sail from [[Vancouver]], arriving in [[Pusan]] on 12 December, from where he took a coastal vessel to Jemulpo, present-day [[Incheon]].<ref name=":0" />{{rp|145}}
 
▲In 1889 he visited Haeju, in [[Hwanghae]] province and from there moved to Sollae (often called Sorae) village, in Jangyeon District, Hwanghae from March to June.<ref name=":0" />{{rp|145–46}} This village was home to [[Seo Sang-ryun]], one of the first Korean Protestants,<ref name=":0" />{{rp|146}} and his brother, who had been baptized by [[Horace Grant Underwood]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2018}} From August 1889 to May 1890 he lived in Pusan.<ref name=":0" />{{rp|146}} In 1890 he taught English at the "Christian School" (예수교 학당). In February 1891 he and [[Samuel A. Moffet]] visited [[John Ross (missionary)|John Ross]] (who had first attempted to translate the Bible into Korean) in [[Mukden]], [[Manchuria]] and returned to Seoul in June.
In August 1891, terminating the relationship with the Toronto University YMCA, he moved to the American Presbyterian Mission Board, North. From 1892-1897 the Gales lived in [[Wonsan]] while Gale served as member of the “Board of Official Translators” of the Korean Bible. He worked with [[Henry G. Appenzeller]], [[Horace G. Underwood]], [[William B. Scranton]], and [[William D. Reynolds]].▼
 
▲In August 1891, terminating the relationship with the Toronto University YMCA, he moved to the American Presbyterian Mission Board, North. From 1892- to 1897 the Gales lived in [[Wonsan]] while Gale served as member of the “Board"Board of Official Translators”Translators" of the Korean Bible. He worked with [[Henry G. Appenzeller]], [[Horace G. Underwood]], [[William B. Scranton]], and [[William D. Reynolds]].<ref>[http://anthony.sogang.ac.kr/RASKBHistory1940.html Brother Anthony of Taizé website, ''The Early Years of the RASKB: 1900-1920'' ]</ref>
In 1897 he returned to Canada and the USA, and on May 13 was ordained as a Presbyterian minister at New Albany Presbytery, Indiana. In 1900 he became the first minister of Yondong Presbyterian Church ([[:ko:연동교회]]) in Seoul.▼
 
▲In 1897 he returned to Canada and the USAUS, and on May 13 was ordained as a Presbyterian minister at New Albany Presbytery, Indiana. In 1900 he became the first minister of Yondong Presbyterian Church ([[:ko:연동교회|연동교회]]) in Seoul.
As an educationalist, he founded the Jesus Church Middle School, present [[Kongsin Middle and High School]], as well as Yondong Girls’ School, presently Chongsin Girls’ School, in Seoul. He was also a professor, of [[Pyongyang]] Theological Seminary. In 1904 he organized the Association of Korean Education with the members of the Yondong Church. In 1917 he founded the Korean Music Society.▼
 
▲As an educationalist, he founded the Jesus Church Middle School, present [[Kongsin Middle and High School]], as well as Yondong Girls’ School, presently Chongsin Girls’ School, in Seoul. {{cn span|He was also a professor, of [[Pyongyang]] Theological Seminary]].|date=August 2017}} In 1904 he organized the Association of Korean Education with the members of the Yondong Church. In 1917 he founded the Korean Music Society.
In May 1927 he resigned as pastor of Yondong Church, leaving Korea on June 22, a year before official retirement (he officially retired from mission work on August 31, 1928). Gale died on January 31, 1937, at the age of 74 in Bath, England. He is buried in Lansdown Cemetery, Bath.
 
== Personal life ==
▲*He married twice. On April 7, 1892, tohe married Harriet E. Gibson Heron, the widow of [[John W. Heron]], M.D., also of the American Presbyterian Mission, North, who had died in Korea on June 26, 1890. Harriet Gale died on March 29, 1908, aged 48. On April 7, 1910, he was remarried to Ada Louisa Sale (born in Cheshire, England, 1871). Her father, George Sale, was a businessman in Japan.<ref name=":0" />
 
==Legacy==
{{Prose|date=September 2023}}
Gale was talented in so many ways, his influence was great, although he was often frustrated by the rivalries, jealousies and personality clashes that too often characterized the missionary community in Korea. His linguistic skills were essential in the work of Bible translation, while his literary and poetic sensitivity gave his writing an added charm. He was unable to publish a considerable portion of what he wrote or translated and much remains to be published in his papers in the University of Toronto.
 
*Gale commenced work as part of [[Henry G. Appenzeller]]'s Bible translation team in 1892 and worked on part of [[Gospel of Matthew]] and [[Ephesians]], then the [[Book of Acts]] (1893) and [[Gospel of John]] (1895)<ref>{{in lang|ko}} http://www.bskorea.or.kr/bskorea/history/bib100/bibtrans03.aspx {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722140743/http://www.bskorea.or.kr/bskorea/history/bib100/bibtrans03.aspx |date=2011-07-22 }}</ref> GalesGale's work has considerable influence on all following [[Bible translations byinto language#Korean|Korean versions]].
*In 1890 Gale worked with [[Horace G. Underwood]] on ''A Concise Dictionary of the Korean Language'', a small booklet. His own [[A Korean-English Dictionary|''A'' ''Korean-English Dictionary'']] appeared in 1897. A [https://books.google.com/books?id=ix4TAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false ''Korean-English Dictionary''] followed in 1914.
*In 1893 he was also the translator of the first work of Western literature to be printed in the Korean [[hangul]] script, [[Pilgrim's Progress]] by [[John Bunyan]] (in Korean 천로역정).
*Gale translated some pages of ancient Korean history from the ''[[Dongguk Tonggam]]'' publishing them in the monthly magazine ''Korean Repository'' between 1893- and 1896. He also translated (for the first time) a number of sijo poems, publishing them in the same magazine
*In 1897 Gale published the book ''Korean Sketches'' (Chicago: Fleming H. Revell), a collection of often amusing essays about daily life in Korea, some previously published in the ''Repository''.
*In 1899 Gale became correspondent for “North"North China Daily News”News" of Shanghai, China. He was also editor “Kurisdo"Kurisdo Sinmun”Sinmun" (Christian News)1905 and “Yesukyo"Yesukyo Sinbo”Sinbo" (Christian Herald) 1907.
*In 1900 the first Mrs. Gale, who was suffering from tuberculosis, went to Switzerland with her daughters, where they remained for six years.
*In 1900 Gale founded Yeondong Church in Seoul, where he remained as pastor until he left Korea. In the same year, he was one of the founding members of the [[Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch]], of which he became Corresponding Secretary, and on October 24 he presented the first paper, on "The Influence of China upon Korea." Later, in 1915, he served as the Society's Presidentpresident.
*In 1903 Gale travelled via the Trans-Siberian Railway to Switzerland, where he spent six months. At this time he wrote and published his only work of fiction, the novel ''The Vanguard'' (New York: Fleming H. Revell).
*1909, a year before Korea was annexed by Japan, Gale published ''Korea in Transition'' which focusses mainly on the changes in Korean society introduced by the work of the Protestant missions.
*In 1917 Gale established the monthly ''Korea Magazine'' (published in English). He was its editor and almost its only contributor. The magazine ceased publication in April 1919, amidst the Japanese crackdown after the March 1 Independence Movement.
[[File:The Cloud Dream of The Nine.gif|thumb|200px|The title page of Gale's translation]]
 
*1922 Gale published the first literary work of Korean to be translated into English [[The Cloud Dream of the Nine]] ([[:ko:구운몽|구운몽]],九雲夢) by [[Kim Manjung]] ([[:ko:김만중|김만중]]) 1637–1692.
*Disagreeing with some of the over-literal translations in the official version of the Bible, in 1925 he published his own private translation of New and Old Testaments.
*In 1924–1926 Gale wrote his ''History of the Korean People,'' publishing it in installments in ''The Korea Mission Field.'' This was a much more personal and poetic vision of Korean history than the scholarly ''History'' published by [[Homer Hulbert]] nearly two decades before.
*Among the many institutions Gale founded or was involved in founding, in 1903 Gale was one of the founding members of the Hansong Young Men’sMen's Christian Association, presently the Korean YMCA and was elected as its first president.
*In memory of Gale's achievements, the Centre for the Study of Korea (CSK) at the University of Toronto hosts the annual James Scarth Gale translation prize for non-fiction pieces of writing on Korea. The top prize-winner is awarded a sum of $2,500.
 
==Korean mythological origins==
==James Scarth Gale online==
{{See also|Korean mythology}}
[https://archive.org/details/KoreanEnglishDictionary Korean-English Dictionary] (Yokohama: Kelby) [https://books.google.com/books?id=ix4TAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false 韓英字典, Part 2]▼
James Scarth Gale said that [[Koreans]] claimed to be descended from the gods with slight admixture from [[Chinese people|Chinese]].<ref>Gale, James Scarth. (1898). Korean Sketches. [[New York City|New York]]: [[Baker Publishing Group|Fleming H. Revell Company]]. Page 12. Retrieved June 15, 2017 from [https://books.google.com/books?id=_uVRAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA12 link].</ref>
[https://archive.org/details/koreansketches00gale Korean Sketches] (Chicago: Fleming H. Revell)▼
[https://archive.org/details/vanguardtaleofko00galeiala The Vanguard] (New York: Fleming H. Revell)▼
[https://archive.org/details/koreaintransitio00gale Korea in Transition] (New York: Young People’s Missionary Movement of the United States and Canada)▼
[https://archive.org/details/koreanfolktalesi00impaiala Korean Folk Tales] (London: J.M. Dent)
(Translation) Kim Man-Choong, [http://www.eldritchpress.org/kim/cloud9.html The Cloud Dream of the Nine] (London: Daniel O’Connor)▼
 
Scholarly articles
[http://purl.library.uoregon.edu/e-asia/ebooks/read/coolie.pdf Korean Coolie]. ''The Korean Repository,'' Vol.III (December, 1896), pp.&nbsp;475–481.▼
[http://purl.library.uoregon.edu/e-asia/ebooks/read/tripnorth.pdf Trip Across Northern Korea]. ''The Korean Repository,'' Vol.IV (March,1897), pp.&nbsp;81–89
 
==External links==
In ''Transactions'' of the [[Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch]]▼
{{Wikisource author}}
 
▲* [https[iarchive://archive.org/details/KoreanEnglishDictionary |Korean-English Dictionary]] (Yokohama: Kelby) [https://books.google.com/books?id=ix4TAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false 韓英字典, Part 2]
[http://www.raskb.com/transactions/VOL01/VOL01_1.docx The Influence of China upon Korea]. I:1-24. 1900.
▲[https[iarchive://archive.org/details/koreansketches00gale |Korean Sketches]] (Chicago: Fleming H. Revell)
[http://www.raskb.com/transactions/VOL02Part2/VOL02Part2_1.docx Han-Yang (Seoul).] II, part Il:1-43. 1902.
▲[https[iarchive://archive.org/details/vanguardtaleofko00galeiala |The Vanguard]] (New York: Fleming H. Revell)
[http://www.raskb.com/transactions/VOL04Part1/VOL04Part1_2.docx The Korean Alphabet]. IV, part I:12-61. 1912-13.
▲[https[iarchive://archive.org/details/koreaintransitio00gale |Korea in Transition]] (New York: [[Young People’sPeople's Missionary Movement|Young People's Missionary Movement of the United States and Canada]])
[http://www.raskb.com/transactions/VOL04Part3/VOL04Part3_2.docx Selection and Divorce]. IV, part III:17-22. 1913.
▲[[iarchive:koreanfolktalesi00impaiala|Korean Folk Tales]] (London: J.M. Dent) (Translation) Kim Man-Choong, [http://www.eldritchpress.org/kim/cloud9.html The Cloud Dream of the Nine] (London: Daniel O’Connor)
[http://www.raskb.com/transactions/VOL06Part2/VOL06(Part2)-1.docx The Pagoda of Seoul]. VI, part II:1-22. 1915.
▲* Scholarly articles [http://purl.library.uoregon.edu/e-asia/ebooks/read/coolie.pdf Korean Coolie]. ''The Korean Repository,'' Vol.III (December, 1896), pp.&nbsp;475–481. [http://purl.library.uoregon.edu/e-asia/ebooks/read/tripnorth.pdf Trip Across Northern Korea]. ''The Korean Repository,'' Vol. IV (March 1897), pp.&nbsp;81–89
[http://www.raskb.com/transactions/VOL13/VOL013.docx The Diamond Mountains]. XIII:1-67. 1922.
▲* In ''Transactions'' of the [[Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch]]
[http://www.raskb.com/transactions/VOL15/VOL015-1.docx A Shipwreck (Korean) in 1636 A.D.] XV:3-22. 1924.
* [http://www.raskb.com/transactions/VOL01/VOL01_1.docx The Influence of China upon Korea]. I:1-24. 1900. [http://www.raskb.com/transactions/VOL02Part2/VOL02Part2_1.docx Han-Yang (Seoul).] II, part Il:1-43. 1902. [http://www.raskb.com/transactions/VOL04Part1/VOL04Part1_2.docx The Korean Alphabet]. IV, part I:12-61. 1912–13. [http://www.raskb.com/transactions/VOL04Part3/VOL04Part3_2.docx Selection and Divorce]. IV, part III:17-22. 1913. [http://www.raskb.com/transactions/VOL06Part2/VOL06(Part2)-1.docx The Pagoda of Seoul]. VI, part II:1-22. 1915. [http://www.raskb.com/transactions/VOL13/VOL013.docx The Diamond Mountains]. XIII:1-67. 1922. [http://www.raskb.com/transactions/VOL15/VOL015-1.docx A Shipwreck (Korean) in 1636 A.D.] XV:3-22. 1924.
{{Archival records|title=James Scarth Gale papers}}
 
==References==
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[[Category:1863 births]]
[[Category:1937 deaths]]
[[Category:ChristianPresbyterian missionaries in Korea]]
[[Category:Canadian expatriates in Korea]]
[[Category:Missionary linguists]]
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