Frank Schofield

Frank Schofield, born on March fifteenth, eighteen eighty-nine, was a British-born Canadian veterinarian and Presbyterian missionary who made significant contributions to Korean society. He moved to Korea in nineteen sixteen, where he served as a lecturer at Severance Medical School during a time when the country was under Japanese rule. Schofield became known for his outspoken criticism of Japan's oppressive policies, which set the stage for his later activism.

In nineteen nineteen, Schofield was one of the few foreigners who were informed in advance about the March First Movement protests, a pivotal moment in Korean history. He documented these protests through photography and shared the harrowing accounts of their violent suppression with the international press. His efforts have since been recognized as historically significant, with his photographs now featured in textbooks and museums across South Korea.

After being pressured to leave Korea in nineteen twenty, Schofield returned to Canada, where he continued to advocate for Korean independence and supported various charitable causes. He resumed his academic career at Ontario Veterinary College, where he lectured and conducted research until his retirement in nineteen fifty-five. Following his retirement, he was invited back to South Korea by President Syngman Rhee and became a professor at Seoul National University's veterinary college.

Throughout his life, Schofield remained politically active, openly criticizing the military regimes of Rhee and Park Chung Hee while advocating for reforms. His philanthropic efforts included substantial donations to orphanages and scholarships, benefiting many, including future Prime Minister Chung Un-chan. Schofield's legacy endures in South Korea, where he is affectionately remembered as 'an eternal Korean' and was honored with numerous awards, including being the first non-Korean interred in Seoul National Cemetery.