Gapgot Martyr Shrine

History & origins

The relationship between Ganghwa Island and Catholicism is deeply connected with the history of persecution in late Joseon Korea. During the Byeongin Persecution of 1866, a French fleet landed in the Gabgot area in what became the French Expedition to Korea, and Catholic persecution in the Ganghwa region intensified in its aftermath. The waters off Gabgot and the surrounding island became a place where missionary routes, military conflict, and the suppression of Catholics intersected.

The best-documented martyrdom directly associated with Gabgot occurred after the United States expedition of 1871. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea records that Park Sang-son, Woo Yun-jip, and Choi Sun-bok were martyred at the Gabgot ferry landing, and the present shrine commemorates them with a memorial to the three martyrs. Their deaths show how political and military confrontation was followed by renewed repression directed at Catholics.

Much later, the Diocese of Incheon investigated the location of the historical Gabgot landing described in the records, secured the relevant land, and began developing the shrine. The Korea Tourism Organization states that after the present shrine was created, the first Mass there was celebrated on February 10, 2004. The former site of martyrdom was thus established as an official place of Catholic remembrance and pilgrimage.

Today Gabgot Martyrs’ Shrine recalls not only these three martyrs but the wider history of persecution and Catholic witness on Ganghwa Island. Its purpose extends beyond preserving a historical site: through liturgy, prayer, and pilgrimage, it continues to transmit the meaning of martyrdom to later generations.