Cathedral

Overview

Jungang Cathedral in Busan is one of the cathedrals of the Catholic Diocese of Busan, located at 9 Yongdusan-gil, Jung-gu, Busan. The official parish name is Jungang Cathedral, and its patron is the Holy Cross. The directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea records the parish establishment date as August 1, 1948.

Jungang Cathedral is a parish established in Busan’s historic downtown shortly after liberation, originally called Daecheong-dong Parish. In 1957, after the Busan Vicariate was established, it became the cathedral parish, and in the same year its name was changed to Jungang Parish. Thereafter, major liturgies and diocesan events of the Diocese of Busan were celebrated here, and for a long time it served as the central church of the diocese.

On May 31, 1992, Namcheon Cathedral was officially proclaimed as the new cathedral, and the diocese’s representative cathedral function moved to Namcheon Cathedral. However, Jungang Cathedral has since retained its cathedral status, and the directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea and Diocese of Busan materials today list both Namcheon Cathedral and Jungang Cathedral as cathedrals.

The present main sanctuary is a building rebuilt in the early 1970s. In 1971, the old church was demolished and new construction began, and on May 1, 1973 it was consecrated by Gabriel Lee Gap-su, then Bishop of Busan. The church stands in Busan’s historic downtown near Yongdusan Park, and is regarded as a place that preserves not only the growth of the Diocese of Busan but also the refugee experience during the Korean War and many scenes from Busan’s modern history.

History

After liberation, as demand grew for a new church in the Jung-gu area of Busan, the establishment of Jungang Cathedral was pursued. At that time, through the Busan regional property administration office, the Church acquired the building of Jieun Temple, a former Japanese Buddhist temple, and used it as a church. After repairing the interior, a blessing ceremony was held on June 20, 1948, and the parish was established later that year. The current directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea records the establishment date as August 1, 1948. At its founding it was named Daecheong-dong Parish and was separated from Beomil Parish.

The first pastor was Father James Yi Myeong-u. In the early days it was so small a community that Sunday Mass attendance did not reach 100, but in 1950, when the Korean War broke out, the situation changed dramatically. As Busan came to serve as the provisional capital and refugees from the north, along with clergy, religious, and faithful, crowded into Busan, Jungang Cathedral became one of the bases for sheltering refugees and supporting the Church’s pastoral and relief work. The church building and parish facilities were used at night as lodging for refugees and in the morning were tidied again as a space for Mass.

After the war, as the number of faithful grew, the parish also expanded. In 1956, the old Jieun Temple building was demolished and a new church was built. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that this church was completed in September 1956.

On January 21, 1957, the Busan Vicariate, separated from the Daegu Vicariate, was established. Bishop John Choi Jae-seon, appointed as the first vicar apostolic, celebrated his episcopal consecration on May 30 of the same year, designated Daecheong-dong Parish as the cathedral parish, and changed the parish name to Jungang Parish. The diocesan curia was also located at Jungang Cathedral for a time. From this period, major diocesan liturgies, including priestly ordinations, were celebrated at Jungang Cathedral.

As the Church grew, several parishes were separated from Jungang Parish. Amid postwar population growth in downtown Busan and the expansion of the Church, neighboring parishes including Choryang, Sinseon, and Seodaesin were divided off, and Jungang Cathedral functioned as a major base for evangelization in Busan’s historic downtown. In 1964, the curia moved from Jungang Cathedral to the Catholic Center in Daecheong-dong.

In the late 1960s, deterioration of the existing church and lack of space became serious. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, preparations for a new church began in March 1970, and a new-church building committee was formed in February 1971. In August of the same year, the old church was demolished and full-scale new construction proceeded. The Catholic Times at the time reported that on August 15, 1971 the old church was demolished and construction of the new main sanctuary began.

On May 1, 1973, the consecration of the newly built church was celebrated by Bishop Gabriel Lee Gap-su. The Catholic Times reported that, with clergy, religious, and representatives of parishes and organizations in attendance, the consecration rite was followed by a votive Mass to the Holy Cross. This building forms the basic structure of today’s Jungang Cathedral main sanctuary.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Jungang Cathedral was a place not only for liturgy and pastoral care but also for various public activities in the Busan community. During the authoritarian regime, lectures on current affairs and social statements and rallies by the diocesan priests centered on the cathedral are recorded. In this respect, Jungang Cathedral is mentioned not only in the history of the Catholic Church in Busan but also as a space of modern history in Busan’s historic downtown.

In the 1980s, the sacred art and liturgical space inside the church were enhanced. Installation of stained glass proceeded from autumn 1984 and was completed on December 21, 1987. According to the Catholic Times, the total area was about 90㎡, and Germany-based artist Choi Yeong-sim designed it. The work takes the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit, and Creation as its main themes.

In 1990, a pipe organ was installed. It was an organ donated by a parish in the Diocese of Munster, Germany, and Bishop Lee Gap-su blessed it on May 18 of the same year. Jungang Cathedral has since become a venue where pipe-organ concerts and sacred-music events are held regularly.

On May 31, 1992, when Namcheon Cathedral was officially proclaimed as the new cathedral, the center of large-scale diocesan events and administration in the Diocese of Busan gradually moved to the Namcheon-dong area. However, Jungang Cathedral retained its cathedral title. It is still listed as Jungang Cathedral in materials of the Diocese of Busan and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea.

In 2018, commemorative Mass and concerts were held to mark the 70th anniversary of the parish’s founding. This was an occasion to look back on the history of Jungang Cathedral, which continued from a small parish right after liberation through the Korean War, the establishment of the Diocese of Busan, the growth of the Church, and the rebuilding of the church.

Architecture and Space

The present main sanctuary of Jungang Cathedral was completed through new construction carried out from 1971 to 1973. In 1973, the Catholic Times reported that the main sanctuary was about 1,100 pyeong in size. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records 1 basement floor and 3 above-ground floors, with a total floor area of about 1,100 pyeong.

However, sources differ on the site area. The consecration report in the Catholic Times in 1973 recorded about 650 pyeong, while the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records about 594 pyeong. Because the calculation standards and recording process of the two sources cannot be verified, it is difficult to fix the exact site area as a single figure. By contrast, the record of a total floor area of about 1,100 pyeong is confirmed in both sources.

The cathedral stands on a slope in Busan’s historic downtown, adjacent to Yongdusan Park. The main sanctuary is organized around a large interior space where many faithful can participate in the liturgy together, with liturgical elements such as the altar, pews, choir loft, pipe organ, and stained glass.

One of the representative works of sacred art in the church is the stained glass installed in the 1980s. Construction proceeded in stages from 1984 over about 3 years and was completed at the end of 1987. Designed by artist Choi Yeong-sim, the work uses non-figurative expression on the themes of the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit, and Creation. The colored glass, changing with light, combines with the liturgical space inside the church to reveal visually the themes of the Gospel and salvation history.

In the choir loft on the 2 floor, a mechanical-action traditional pipe organ is installed. This organ, donated by a parish in the Diocese of Munster, Germany, was installed in 1990 and blessed by Bishop Lee Gap-su at that time. In a report in 2018 related to the 70th anniversary of the parish’s founding, it was introduced as an instrument about 6.84 m high and about 5 m wide. The organ has been used not only for Mass liturgies but also for sacred-music events of the parish and diocese.

The church building is different from both the Japanese temple building first used in 1948 and the former church completed in 1956. Thus the historical value of Jungang Cathedral lies less in preserving a single old building intact than in the fact that, in the same place, the church was rebuilt and expanded several times while continuing the history of the Diocese of Busan.

Religious Significance and Visiting Context

The patron of Jungang Cathedral is the Holy Cross. The official parish name also reflects the faith tradition of the Holy Cross, and at the consecration of the present church in 1973, a votive Mass to the Holy Cross was celebrated. The cross is the central symbol of Catholic faith focused on salvation through the Passion, death, and Resurrection of Christ.

Jungang Cathedral was a key place in the process by which the Diocese of Busan grew as an independent ecclesial administrative unit. After the Busan Vicariate was established in 1957 and Bishop Choi Jae-seon took office, Jungang Cathedral was designated as the cathedral, and it became the church where major liturgies of the Diocese of Busan, priestly ordinations, and diocesan events were celebrated. Even after Namcheon Cathedral was proclaimed as the new cathedral in 1992, Jungang Cathedral has continued its cathedral title and liturgical significance.

The experience of the Korean War is also important for understanding the identity of Jungang Cathedral. When refugees moving south, along with clergy, religious, and faithful, gathered in Busan, Jungang Cathedral was used not only as a place of worship but as a space for lodging and relief work. The history of this place is therefore linked to the evacuation and reconstruction of the Korean Catholic Church during the war.

The stained glass completed in the 1980s and the pipe organ installed in 1990 form the liturgical and artistic character of Jungang Cathedral today. Visitors can look not only at the exterior of the building but also at the liturgical art inside the church, such as the stained glass on the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit, and Creation, and the pipe organ.

Jungang Cathedral is not a martyrs’ shrine or a tourist facility but an active parish and cathedral where Mass and sacraments are actually celebrated. When visiting, liturgies and pastoral schedules such as Masses, funerals, weddings, and parish events take priority. As Mass times and church opening may change, it is appropriate to check the latest guidance from Jungang Cathedral or the Diocese of Busan before visiting.

The church is close to Yongdusan Park and Busan’s historic downtown, so it can be approached as part of a route exploring Busan’s modern history and religious history together. However, in understanding Jungang Cathedral, the focus should be less on seeing it as a simple tourist attraction than on its being a faith space where the Catholic community in the Busan region has together lived through war, urban growth, and the formation and changes of the diocese since 1948.

Related Places and People

Beomil Church is the mother parish from which Jungang Cathedral was separated. The present Jungang Parish was founded in 1948 when separated from Beomil Parish. Afterwards, as Jungang Parish grew, several parishes were again separated and established in Busan’s historic downtown and neighboring areas.

Yongdusan Park is a representative space of Busan’s historic downtown, immediately adjacent to Jungang Cathedral. Since 1948, when the church first settled in this place, Jungang Cathedral has served the Catholic community in the downtown area, in the Yongdusan area and Daecheong-dong, Gwangbok-dong, Nampo-dong, and other districts.

The Busan Catholic Center is closely related to Jungang Cathedral for understanding the Catholic history of Busan’s historic downtown. The curia of the Diocese of Busan was at first inside Jungang Cathedral, but in 1964 it moved to the Catholic Center in Daecheong-dong. Afterwards the diocesan administrative function moved again to the Namcheon-dong area, but the Jungang Cathedral and Catholic Center area shows historical continuity as the old center of the Diocese of Busan.

Father James Yi Myeong-u is the first pastor of Jungang Cathedral. He served in pastoral ministry in the early days of the parish and during its growth around the Korean War, and is a figure linked to the activity of the Busan Church in the refugee period.

Bishop John Choi Jae-seon was the first bishop of the Diocese of Busan and the one who, after the establishment of the Busan Vicariate in 1957, designated Jungang Cathedral as the cathedral parish. During his tenure, Jungang Cathedral took its place as the liturgical and administrative center of the Diocese of Busan.

Bishop Gabriel Lee Gap-su is closely related to the present Jungang Cathedral building. On May 1, 1973 he presided at the consecration of the present main sanctuary, and in 1990 he blessed the pipe organ of Jungang Cathedral. In 1992 he officially proclaimed Namcheon Cathedral as the new cathedral.

Artist Choi Yeong-sim designed the stained glass of Jungang Cathedral. Installed in stages in the 1980s on the themes of the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit, and Creation, the work remains today as a representative element of sacred art inside Jungang Cathedral.

Namcheon Cathedral is another cathedral of the Diocese of Busan, officially proclaimed as the new cathedral on May 31, 1992. Today the Diocese of Busan lists two churches as cathedrals: Namcheon Cathedral and Jungang Cathedral. If Jungang Cathedral is the historic center of the Diocese of Busan, Namcheon Cathedral is the space that later inherited the central role of large-scale diocesan liturgies and administration; that is their historical relationship.

References and Sources

1. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Korean Catholic Directory, Jungang Cathedral. Foundation on August 1, 1948, address at 9 Yongdusan-gil, Jung-gu, Busan, and patron the Holy Cross.
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201001361&gubun=4
2. Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, entry on Jungang Parish. Founding as Daecheong-dong Parish, name change to Jungang Parish and designation as cathedral in 1957, church completion in 1956, and construction process and building size of the present church from 1970 to 1973.
   https://encyclopedia.catholic.or.kr/entry/5786
3. Kukje Daily News, Embracing the turbulence of modern history for 70 years…Jungang Cathedral, standing tall as the regional central church, September 7, 2018. Transfer of Jieun Temple right after liberation, blessing of the first church on June 20, 1948, sheltering of refugees during the Korean War, new church in 1956, designation as cathedral in 1957, consecration of the present church in 1973, and records related to the 70th anniversary.
   https://www.kookje.co.kr/news2011/asp/newsbody.asp?code=0500&key=20180908.22011002642
4. Catholic Times, Consecration of Jungang Cathedral in Busan, No. 864 issue of May 6, 1973. Consecration of the present church on May 1, 1973, demolition of the old church and start of new construction on August 15, 1971, and building size and construction cost at the time.
   https://m.catholictimes.org/347388
5. Catholic Times, Jungang Parish, cathedral of the Diocese of Busan, completion of stained glass, No. 1588 issue of January 17, 1988. Stained-glass installation process from 1984 to 1987, artist Choi Yeong-sim, and themes of Resurrection, Holy Spirit, and Creation.
   https://www.catholictimes.org/article/201907050085002
6. Catholic Times, Jungang Parish in Busan, blessing of pipe organ, No. 1706 issue of May 27, 1990. Installation of the pipe organ in 1990 and blessing by Bishop Lee Gap-su, and donation by a parish of the Diocese of Munster, Germany.
   https://www.catholictimes.org/article/201906020070549
7. Catholic Times, Dedication of the new church, Namcheon Church as cathedral, No. 1808 issue of June 7, 1992. Official proclamation of Namcheon Church as the new cathedral on May 31, 1992 and transfer of the representative cathedral function from Jungang Cathedral to Namcheon Cathedral.
   https://www.catholictimes.org/article/201706070198049
8. Diocese of Busan, diocesan news on the rite of opening the Door of Mercy for the Jubilee of Mercy. Example of the Diocese of Busan listing both Namcheon Cathedral and Jungang Cathedral as cathedrals.
   https://www.catholicbusan.or.kr/bulletin/column/news/5189
9. Busan Diocesan Bulletin, February 22, 2026. Recent diocesan document listing Jungang Cathedral as the venue for the 44th regular concert of the Busan Catholic Choir.
   https://www.catholicbusan.or.kr/uploads/bsd01/ext_jubo/1771466076.pdf