Meritorious Service Record

Patrick Dawson was a Catholic priest of the Missionary Society of St. Columban who arrived in Korea in October 1933.
Dawson believed that if Japan won the Second Sino-Japanese War, Catholic missionary work in East Asia would become impossible. However, if Japan were defeated, Korea would be liberated from oppression, and peace would be restored in the region.
Between autumn 1939 and September 1941, he frequently criticized fake news produced by Japanese newspapers and radio broadcasts by warning Korean churchgoers that Japan lacked resources and would ultimately lose the war, giving hope for Korean independence.
In April 1939, at a Catholic missionary gathering in Mokpo, Dawson publicly stated:
"Japanese newspapers claim that the Japanese army has advanced to Changsha, but Shanghai radio reports that Japan actually lost the battle. This proves that Japanese media reports are false."
In October 1939, he told a young Catholic believer, Heo Bong-hak (許鳳鶴), in Jeju:
"Japan has already lost many soldiers in the war. That is why they are now enlisting Koreans under the so-called 'Special Volunteer System' to replace their losses."
In August 1941, Dawson made critical remarks about Emperor Hirohito. While speaking to an elementary school student visiting his home, he stated:
"Our Lord is greater than the Emperor. Emperor Jimmu had two wives!"
On September 14, 1941, Heo Bong-hak pointed to an Imperial Japanese family portrait hanging on his wall. Dawson mocked him, asking:
"Do you want to become Emperor Showa (昭和) yourself?"
These remarks were later used to charge him with "Lese-majeste" (insulting the Emperor) in court.
In December 1941, Dawson was arrested by Japanese police. In October 1942, the Gwangju District Court sentenced him to two years and six months in prison under Japan’s Army and Navy Criminal Code and Lese-majeste laws.
Patrick Dawson passed away on February 9, 1989.
In 1999, the South Korean government posthumously awarded Patrick Dawson the Order of Merit for National Foundation (Patriotic Medal) in recognition of his contributions to Korea’s independence.