Jukrim-dong Cathedral

History & origins

The roots of Jungnim-dong Parish lie in the Gomsil mission station, which belonged to Pungsuwon Parish. According to the Diocese of Chuncheon, Father Jeong Gyu-ha Augustine visited the Gomsil community several times each year, and as the number of Catholics grew to around 300, the need for a resident priest and a parish became increasingly urgent. After repeated petitions by mission-station leader Eom Ju-eon Martin, Father Kim Yu-ryong Philip arrived on September 22, 1920, establishing the first parish in the Chuncheon area.

The community later moved to Yaksari, and construction of the present church began on a hilltop site acquired by Father Thomas Quinlan. Ground was broken on April 5, 1949, but the Korean War erupted when the building was nearly complete and the church was badly damaged. Restoration began after the war in 1953, and on June 8, 1956, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the cathedral was solemnly consecrated.

The present building preserves the architectural legacy of the period when the Missionary Society of St. Columban served the Chuncheon area. Korean heritage records date the building to 1949 and value its form and workmanship as a restored stone church that survived wartime damage. On June 30, 2003, it was registered as a National Registered Cultural Heritage property, ensuring that Jungnim-dong Cathedral is preserved not only as a witness to the history of the Diocese of Chuncheon but also as an important example of modern Korean Catholic church architecture.