절두산 순교성지

History & origins

Jeoldusan is linked with the Yanghwajin area where Catholics were executed during the Byeongin Persecution of 1866. Long after the persecution ended, the Church began preserving this place as a center for honoring the martyrs.

Around the centenary of the persecution, the site was formally developed as a martyr memorial in 1966, and in 1967 a memorial church and museum were established. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference directory records October 21, 1967, as the establishment date of the shrine.

Jeoldusan subsequently grew into a central place for preserving and teaching the history of Korean Catholic martyrdom. The memorial museum, which collected and displayed records and objects connected with the martyrs, continues today as the Korean Martyrs Museum, while the shrine and museum together serve remembrance, pilgrimage, and historical education.