Myeongdong Cathedral

Myeongdong Cathedral (明洞大聖堂, Myeongdong Cathedral) is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Seoul in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul. It is registered as a Historic Site under the name “Seoul Myeongdong Church” with the Korea Heritage Service and was designated as a Historic Site on November 22, 1977. The present church building was consecrated on May 29, 1898, after a groundbreaking ceremony in 1892.[1] [2]

The establishment date of Myeongdong Parish is recorded as April 22, 1882 in the official directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea. The patron of the parish is “the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived without original sin.”[3]

Myeongdong Cathedral is closely connected with the early parish history of the Korean Catholic Church, the development of Western-style church architecture in the late 19th century, the honoring of the martyrs, and the history of the Archdiocese of Seoul. In the 1970s–1980s, it was also the site of several events related to the democratization movement, and because of this history it is frequently mentioned in modern and contemporary Korean history as well.[4] [5]

Item	Details
Name	Myeongdong Cathedral
Heritage name	Seoul Myeongdong Church
Affiliation	Archdiocese of Seoul
Status	Cathedral
Parish establishment	April 22, 1882
Present church groundbreaking	May 8, 1892
Present church consecration	May 29, 1898
Patron	Blessed Virgin Mary conceived without original sin
Architectural style	Gothic-style brick church
Address	74, Myeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
Heritage designation	Historic Site, designated on November 22, 1977

History

Myeongnyebang Community and Early Catholic Faith

In explaining the history of Myeongdong Cathedral, it is necessary to distinguish the site of the present cathedral from the site of the 18th-century Myeongnyebang faith community.

From the winter of 1784 to the spring of 1785, an early Catholic faith community centered on Peter Yi Seung-hun, John Baptist Yi Byeok, Thomas Kim Beom-u and others was active in Myeongnyebang in the southern part of Hanseong-bu. The faithful gathered at the house of the interpreter Kim Beom-u to learn doctrine and continue their life of faith, but the community was disbanded after its discovery in the Eulsa Chujo incident in 1785.[6]

The entry on the “Myeongnyebang Community” in the Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture identifies Kim Beom-u’s house as the area around 181, Euljiro 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul today. Therefore it is not appropriate to identify the site of Kim Beom-u’s house with the present church site of Myeongdong Cathedral. However, both places belong to adjacent historic areas in central Seoul that were called Myeongnyebang in the late Joseon period, and the Myeongdong Cathedral area is closely connected with the memory of the early history of Catholic faith in Korea.[6]

Founding of Jonghyeon Parish

The present Myeongdong area was called Jonghyeon (鐘峴) in the late Joseon period. The directory of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea records the establishment date of Myeongdong Parish as April 22, 1882, and the official materials of Myeongdong Cathedral describe the parish at that time as Jonghyeon Parish.[3] [7]

In the 1880s, as treaties were concluded between Joseon and Western countries and conditions for missionaries changed, the conditions were created for establishing full-scale churches and Church facilities in central Seoul. Bishop Blanc secured land in the Jonghyeon area to build a church and Church facilities, and church construction was subsequently pursued. Construction of the church proceeded over a long period because of site issues, finances, and the political and social circumstances of the time.[2] [8]

Construction of the Cathedral

The groundbreaking ceremony for the present cathedral was held on May 8, 1892. Design and construction supervision were undertaken by Father Eugène Jean Georges Coste of the Paris Foreign Missions Society. Chinese bricklayers, plasterers, carpenters and others participated in the work, and the construction was interrupted and delayed by financial difficulties and the First Sino-Japanese War, among other factors.[2]

After Father Coste died in 1896, Father Victor Louis Poisnel took over the work. The cathedral was consecrated on May 29, 1898, with Bishop Mutel presiding.[2] [8]

Describing Myeongdong Cathedral as “Korea’s first brick church” is not accurate. The Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture and the Korea Heritage Service materials describe Seoul Yakhyeon Church, completed in 1892, as the oldest surviving Western-style church building and Korea’s first modern brick church. Myeongdong Cathedral is a large brick Gothic church completed later, in 1898.[9] [10]

After Liberation

After Liberation, Jonghyeon Parish came to be called Myeongdong Parish or Myeongdong Church. According to the Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture, repairs were carried out in 1947 and 1973, and a large-scale restoration including stained glass and the roof began in 1981 and was completed in 1984. Further repair work began in 2002 and was completed in early 2009, including the bell tower, exterior brickwork, stained glass and other elements.[2]

Architecture

Plan and Exterior

Myeongdong Cathedral is based on a Latin cruciform plan with a three-aisle composition. It combines a central nave with side aisles on both sides and a transept, and Gothic features can be seen in the exterior buttresses and pointed arches, the central bell tower and spire, and other elements.[2]

The building was constructed of brick, not stone. The Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture explains that more than 20 types of shaped bricks, including red and gray, were used, and that Gothic details were realized in brick in the windows, arches, exterior ornament and other features.[2]

Scale

The Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture records the church’s total length as about 68 m, its width as 29 m, and the height of the main body as about 23 m. It gives the bell tower height as about 47 m.[2]

The Korea Heritage Service records the designated area of Seoul Myeongdong Church as 1,668 square meters, and the owner and managing organization is the Foundation for the Maintenance of the Archdiocese of Seoul.[1]

Stained Glass and Preservation

The stained glass of Myeongdong Cathedral is one of the representative architectural and sacred-art elements of the church building. The Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture explains that the early stained glass was made in France and was repaired with respect for the original form during the restoration in 1981. Afterwards, preservation and repairs were carried out several times on the exterior brickwork, bell tower, stained glass and other elements.[2]

Underground Crypt

In the underground crypt of Myeongdong Cathedral are enshrined the remains of saints and martyrs who were martyred during the persecutions of the late Joseon period. According to materials from the Special Episcopal Commission for Beatification and Canonization of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, the underground crypt currently holds the remains of five saints and four other martyrs.[11]

The 5 saints are as follows.

1. Saint Laurent Imbert, bishop
2. Part of the remains of Saint Pierre Maubant
3. Part of the remains of Saint Jacques Chastan
4. Saint Antonio Kim Seong-u
5. Saint Francisco Choe Gyeong-hwan

In addition, the remains of Father Pourthie, Father Petitnicolas, Servant of God Yi Emerensia, and one unnamed martyr are enshrined there.[11]

After their martyrdom in 1839, the remains of Bishop Imbert and Fathers Maubant and Chastan were moved several times, and according to the chronology of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, they were transferred on November 2, 1901 from Samsung Mountain to the underground crypt of Myeongdong Church.[12]

Myeongdong Cathedral in Modern and Contemporary Korean History

3·1 Declaration for Democratic National Salvation

On March 1, 1976, at the Mass and prayer meeting commemorating 3·1 Day held at Myeongdong Church, the “Declaration for Democratic National Salvation” was announced with the participation of dissident politicians, religious figures, intellectuals and others. According to materials from the Korea Democracy Foundation, the declaration criticized the Yushin system and emergency measures and demanded the restoration of democracy and the guarantee of the basic rights of the people, among other points.[4] [13]

Democratization Movement of 1987

After the memorial Mass for the victims of the 5·18 Gwangju killings held at Myeongdong Church on May 18, 1987, the Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice made public facts concerning the cover-up and downplaying of the death by torture of Park Jong-cheol. The captions of photographs and historical materials preserved by the Korea Democracy Foundation record that Father Kim Seung-hun read the related statement.[14] [15]

On June 10 of the same year, during the June Democratic Uprising, students and citizens entered the grounds of Myeongdong Church and began a sit-in, which lasted for six days. During this period Myeongdong Cathedral became a key space where protesters, police and civil society confronted one another while negotiations and support took place. The Korea Democracy Foundation preserves messages of support left by citizens for the sit-in participants and related records from that time.[5] [16]

Because of these events, Myeongdong Cathedral is recorded not only for its original function as a Catholic liturgical space but also as one of the major sites in the history of Korea’s democratization movement.

Papal Visits

John Paul 2

Pope John Paul 2 visited Korea in 1984 for the 200th anniversary of the Korean Catholic Church and the canonization of 103 Korean martyrs. On May 6, 1984, he performed the act of entrusting Korea and the Korean Church to the Virgin Mary at Myeongdong Cathedral. The canonization Mass for 103 Korean martyrs on the same day was held not at Myeongdong Cathedral but at Yeouido Plaza.[17] [18]

Francis

Pope Francis celebrated the “Mass for Peace and Reconciliation” at Myeongdong Cathedral on August 18, 2014, the last day of his visit to Korea. This Mass was one of the final major liturgies of Pope Francis’s 2014 apostolic visit to Korea.[19]

Heritage Designation and Preservation Value

Seoul Myeongdong Church was designated as a Historic Site on November 22, 1977. The Korea Heritage Service manages the building as religious architectural heritage corresponding to a Catholic church.[1]

The cultural-heritage value of Myeongdong Cathedral can be found in its architectural-historical character as a large brick Gothic church built in Seoul in the late 19th century, in the history of the early parishes of the Korean Catholic Church and the Archdiocese of Seoul, in the tradition of honoring the martyrs, and in the layering of many modern and contemporary historical events in one place.

Key Chronology

Year	Details
1784–1785	Early Catholic faith community active around Kim Beom-u’s house in Myeongnyebang
1882.04.22	Founding of Jonghyeon Parish
1892.05.08	Groundbreaking ceremony for the present cathedral
1896	Death of Father Coste; Father Poisnel takes over construction
1898.05.29	Consecration of the present cathedral
1901.11.02	Transfer of the remains of Bishop Imbert and Fathers Maubant and Chastan to the underground crypt of Myeongdong Church
After 1945	The name Myeongdong Church becomes established, replacing Jonghyeon Church
1976.03.01	Proclamation of the 3·1 Declaration for Democratic National Salvation
1977.11.22	Designated as a Historic Site
1984.05.06	Pope John Paul 2 entrusts Korea and the Korean Church to the Virgin Mary at Myeongdong Cathedral
1987.05.18	Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice discloses facts on the cover-up of the Park Jong-cheol torture-death case
1987.06.10	Beginning of the sit-in at Myeongdong Church during the June Democratic Uprising
2014.08.18	Pope Francis celebrates the “Mass for Peace and Reconciliation”

See Also

• Archdiocese of Seoul
• Seoul Yakhyeon Church
• Korean Catholic Church
• Myeongnyebang Community
• Korean Catholic Martyrs
• 3·1 Declaration for Democratic National Salvation
• June Democratic Uprising

References and Sources

1. Korea Heritage Service, Korea Heritage Portal, “Seoul Myeongdong Church”
   https://www.heritage.go.kr/heri/cul/culSelectDetail.do?ccbaCpno=1331102580000&pageNo=1_1_1_1&sngl=Y
2. Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture, “Seoul Myeongdong Church”
   https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0018240
3. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Catholic Directory of Korea, “Myeongdong Cathedral”
   https://directory.cbck.or.kr/m/catholicInfo.asp?code=201000096&gubun=4
4. Archdiocese of Seoul, Myeongdong Cathedral, “History of Myeongdong Cathedral”
   https://www.mdsd.or.kr/bbs/content.php?co_id=1010
5. Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture, “Myeongnyebang Community”
   https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0069925
6. Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture, “Seoul Yakhyeon Church”
   https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0028064
7. Korea Heritage Service, Korea Heritage Portal, guidance-panel materials on “Seoul Yakhyeon Church”
   https://www.heritage.go.kr/heri/cul/culGuidePostDetail.do?ccbaCpno=1331102520000&ccgbGbtype=IND&ccgbGbtypeNo=1&pageNo=1_5_0_0
8. Special Episcopal Commission for Beatification and Canonization of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, “Shrines Related to Myeongdong Cathedral”
   https://www.cbck.or.kr/koreanmartyrs/Shrines/71
9. Special Episcopal Commission for Beatification and Canonization of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, “Chronology of the Beatification of 79 Martyrs of the Gihae and Byeongo Persecutions”
   https://cbck.or.kr/koreanmartyrs/103-Saints/Timeline/1
10. Korea Democracy Foundation, “March 1, 1976 Declaration for Democratic National Salvation”
    https://archives.kdemo.or.kr/workoutlog/workoutlog/view/BRR_1976_03_01_n001
11. Korea Democracy Foundation, Dictionary of Korean Democratization Movement, “3·1 Declaration for Democratic National Salvation”
    https://dict.kdemo.or.kr/entry/213/
12. Korea Democracy Foundation Archives, “Scene of the 5·18 Memorial Demonstration Held at Myeongdong Church”
    https://archives.kdemo.or.kr/isad/view/00731451
13. Korea Democracy Foundation, “In 1987, the Hearts of Citizens Gathered at Myeongdong Church”
    https://archives.kdemo.or.kr/contents/view/426
14. The Holy See, documents on Pope John Paul 2’s May 6, 1984 rite of entrustment of Korea at Myeongdong Cathedral
    https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/1984/may/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19840506_atto-affidamento-corea.html
15. The Holy See, documents on the May 6, 1984 canonization Mass for 103 Korean martyrs
    https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1984/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19840506_martiri-coreani.html
16. The Holy See, homily of Pope Francis at the “Mass for Peace and Reconciliation” on August 18, 2014
    https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/ko/homilies/2014/documents/papa-francesco_20140818_corea-omelia-pace-riconciliazione.html