About this place
The Gwanghwamun Site of the Beatification of 124 Martyrs is a Catholic pilgrimage site on the northern part of Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. It marks the location of the altar where Pope Francis celebrated the beatification Mass for Blessed Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 companion martyrs on August 16, 2014.
It is not a shrine with a church building, but a marked place in the public square that preserves the memory of the Mass. The site commemorates both the beatification of 124 early Korean martyrs and Pope Francis's pastoral visit to Korea.
History & origins
One of the largest liturgical events of Pope Francis's 2014 pastoral visit to Korea was the beatification Mass held in Gwanghwamun Square on August 16. At that Mass he beatified Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 companion martyrs, a total of 124 witnesses from the persecutions of the late Joseon period.
After the Mass, a marker was placed in the northern part of Gwanghwamun Square where the altar had stood. It allows pilgrims to remember the faith of the early Korean martyrs and the 2014 beatification even though the temporary liturgical structure itself is no longer there.
Korean Catholic Places Encyclopedia
Gwanghwamun 124th Beatification Site: history and architecture
Read about the place's history, architecture, people, and events in the Korean Catholic Places Encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia articles are currently available in Korean.
Pilgrimages passing here
Would you like to record this place in your pilgrimage passport?
Sign in to keep this record with you.
Accessibility information
Accessibility information is not available yet. Please check with the location before visiting.
Sources and updates
- Information Status
- Official
- Source
- Official source
- Data freshness
- Fresh
- Last updated
- Source
- 한국천주교주교회의 온라인 주소록
Diocese
Official website: https://aos.catholic.or.kr
Help verify information
Did the Mass schedule or church information change?
Let us know if you confirmed the displayed information or noticed something different.
Information Status: Official source
Visited here? Share details about toilets, parking or ramps.
Sign in to leave a visitor check.
Sign in to confirm the schedule or report a change.
Reports are saved for review. Mass times are changed after evidence such as official sources is checked, not automatically based on visitor confirmations.