Book on Cespedes published in Japan
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The Japanese version of Park Chul’s “Gregorio de Cespedes: Primer Visitante Occidental a Corea en 1593” / Korea Times
By Baek Byung-yeul
A book on Gregorio de Cespedes, the 16th century Spanish priest and first European on record to arrive on the Korean Peninsula, written by Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) President Park Chul, has been translated and published in Japan.
Park, a scholar of Spanish literature, wrote “Gregorio de Cespedes: Primer Visitante Occidental a Corea en 1593’’ in 1986. The book has been published in Korea and Spain.
Cespedes, who had been assigned for missionary activity in Japan, reached Korea in 1593 accompanying Japanese troops during their invasion of Korea, also called the Imjin War (1592-1598). He stayed in Korea for about a year and sent four letters to Spain about his impressions of Korea.
Tomoko Taniguchi, professor at Japan’s Aichi Prefectural University, has completed the translation of Park’s book in Japanese.
Park was elected as the president of HUFS in 2006, and has been a member of the Real Academia Espanola (corresponding member of the Royal Spanish Academy) since 2009. In 2010, Park received the Grand Cross of the Order of Carlos III, one of Spain’s top honors, credited for his efforts for mutual exchange between Spain and Korea.