Jeonju Chimeongjasan Sacred Site Peace Hall

History & origins

The Peace Hall was developed to preserve the value of the martyrdom tradition at Chimyongjasan while providing a place where more people could stay, learn, and interact. A Diocese of Jeonju construction report explains that the facility was planned to honor the spirit of the martyrs and to function as an “open space” shared by Catholics and the wider public.

Construction began in September 2019 as a government-subsidized project. The planned building had a total floor area of 9,033 square meters, three above-ground floors, and functions for retreats and training. When the diocese reported on the project in November 2020, about 80 percent of the construction had been completed. The work included not only the interior of the building but also civil engineering and landscaping intended to connect the new facility with the existing shrine environment.

Although an opening had initially been expected in the spring of 2021, the schedule was adjusted, and the Diocese of Jeonju held the blessing and opening ceremony on October 16, 2021. The opening notice described the facility as a multipurpose cultural center for retreats and training and stated its aim of sharing Christian faith and the universal value of peace in personal, family, and social life.

The Peace Hall thus marked a new stage in which the shrine's remembrance of martyrdom was joined to education, retreats, and cultural activity. Its central historical significance lies in the decision not merely to commemorate the past but to carry that memory into present-day spiritual life and community activity.