ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Farewell to Bishop René Dupont. 71 years on mission "With joy and without shame"

by Pascale Rizk

Andong (Agenzia Fides) – René-Marie Albert Dupont, Bishop Emeritus of Andong and missionary of the Society for Foreign Missions of Paris for 71 years in South Korea, has died at the age of 96. His passing occurred at 7:47 p.m. on April 10 in a hospital in Andong, located about 190 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in the province of North Gyeongsang, where he had been hospitalized following emergency surgery for a stroke that had occurred a few days earlier.

Born in Saint-Jean-le-Blanc in the Loiret department, in the Centre-Val de Loire region, on September 2, 1929, Dupont was the second of five children, and the priesthood had been one of his dreams since childhood. Growing up in a farming family, farmers' welfare and rights were always very important issues for him, and he undertook numerous initiatives during his decades of pastoral service in the Diocese of Andong.

After studying in France, he entered the seminary of the Foreign Missions in Paris and arrived in Rome in 1950 to continue his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Ordained a priest on June 29, 1953, he completed his studies in Rome before being sent to Korea as a missionary on October 27, 1954, approximately one year after the end of the Korean War. Upon arriving in Korea, as was customary, he adopted the Korean name 두봉 (杜峰, Du Bong).

His pastoral service began in the Diocese of Daejon, where he remained from 1955 to 1967. Alongside his position as vicar of the Daejeon Cathedral Parish, Bishop Dupont served as chancellor of the diocese for several years. He later became Regional Superior of the MEP in Korea, a position he held for one year.

When, on May 29, 1969, Pope Paul VI established the Diocese of Andong - in northern Gyeongbuk Province - by dividing it from the Archdiocese of Daegu, he appointed René Dupont, then 39 years old, as its first bishop. He led this diocese for 20 years. His resignation was accepted on the fourth attempt, in 1990, at which time he retired to Haengju, a parish in the Diocese of Neunggok, on the outskirts of Seoul.

In 2004, he returned to live in the Diocese of Andong, dedicating his time to preaching at spiritual retreats and giving lectures both in parishes and with various non-denominational organizations, while also rekindling his love of gardening.

Among the various awards he received during his life are: Chevalier of the Legion of Honor of France in 1982, the Manhae Prize (Grand Prize of Buddhism) in 2012 in Korea, the Diploma of Honor from the President of the Republic of Korea, and the Baegnam Prize for his commitment to human rights in 2019.
His main writings are: "The Compassion of Human Beings" (Munyeomsa, 1989) and "The Most Wonderful Life" (Baoro's Daughter, 2011).

Since his arrival in Korea in 1954 after the end of the war, Monsignor Dupont was a great inspiration for his authentic and encouraging presence in Korea. He has lived through the country's most difficult and darkest times, characterized by economic poverty, a series of political and social ups and downs, and also by great changes. He worked for social justice with great dedication and pastoral commitment, sharing the suffering of the people.

In 2019, despite the country's policy against dual nationality, he was granted Korean citizenship, as a sign of the high esteem in which the country held him.

On April 14, at 11:00 a.m., the Mokseong-dong Cathedral in the Diocese of Andong will host a final farewell to the last Korean bishop of French origin who served from 1969 to 1990 in the region, recently affected by devastating fires.

Although at the time of his consecration, Bishop Dupont had not chosen a motto or coat of arms because it was not mandatory, he will always be remembered as a simple and humble man who served his mission land, South Korea, with great love "with joy and without shame"; words that summarize the spirit with which he accompanied, protected, and fostered the growth of his diocese.
(Agenzia Fides, 11/4/2025)

Share: