Meritorious Service Record

Robert Grierson graduated from Pine Hill Theological College in 1893 and earned a medical degree from Dalhousie Medical College in 1897, obtaining his physician's license. In 1898, he was ordained as a minister and later that year married Lena Venoit. The couple arrived in Korea in September 1898 as missionaries for the Presbyterian Church of Canada.
In February 1899, he began missionary work in Wonsan, Hamgyeongnam-do, and later expanded his efforts across the Hamgyeong region. In May 1901, he established a mission station and medical clinic in Seongjin, North Hamgyeong Province, which developed into Jedong Hospital (濟東病院) in 1916.
In November 1908, Grierson physically intervened when a Japanese soldier harassed a Korean civilian, leading to an official apology from Kobayashi Zenpachirō (小林善八郞), the head of the military police in Deokwon County.
In 1909, he supported Yi Dong-hwi (이동휘), a key independence activist, by appointing him as a Bible salesman (賣書人) within the mission, allowing him to evade Japanese surveillance while continuing his independence activities. A year later, he promoted Yi to assistant missionary (助事), further enabling his nationalist efforts. In 1914, when Yi sought to flee Japanese persecution, Grierson assisted him in escaping abroad.
During the March 1st Movement, Grierson provided his residence in Seongjin as a secret meeting place for independence activists preparing demonstrations. On March 7, 1919, he supported activists coordinating with Seoul for the local independence movement. On March 9, he delivered a sermon encouraging faith and hope among his Korean congregation.
On March 10, the Seongjin independence protest began in front of Jedong Hospital, with demonstrators waving Taegeukgi (Korean national flags) and expanding the protest into the city center. The following day, Japanese military police violently suppressed the protest, beating and shooting at civilians, causing numerous injuries. Grierson treated the wounded at his hospital.
That same morning, he and his fellow missionary, Mr. Ross, were summoned to the Seongjin Police Station. However, he prioritized treating patients and only went for questioning after his evening meal.
Following the protests, most of the elders and members of Seongjin Church, where he served as a minister, were arrested and imprisoned. During the March 16 Sunday service, Grierson rang the church bells for an extended period in honor of the jailed activists. The Japanese authorities saw this as a subversive act and retaliated by publishing a false report in the March 15, 1919, edition of Maeil Shinbo, accusing a so-called British missionary "Creson" of instigating the protests and claiming that locals wanted him dead. At that time, many were sent to Seoul for imprisonment after being sentenced for years after trial.
Grierson continued supporting these imprisoned activists by personally visiting them, sending churchwomen to deliver food, and ensuring their welfare. In 1935, Grierson retired and returned to Toronto, Canada, where he lived until his passing in 1965 at the age of 98.
In 1968, the South Korean government posthumously awarded Robert Grierson the Order of Merit for National Foundation (Independence Medal) in recognition of his contributions to Korea’s independence.