의금부 터

History & origins

The Uigeumbu was a Joseon judicial office that handled serious crimes under royal authority. After persecution of Catholicism began, not only ordinary Catholics but especially bishops, priests, and lay leaders classified as major offenders were subjected to formal interrogation there.

Material on the Seoul Catholic Pilgrimage Route connects the Uigeumbu with the testimony of figures including Peter Yi Seung-hun during the 1791 Sinhae Persecution, Father James Zhou Wen-mo, Bishops Laurent Imbert and Siméon Berneux, missionaries such as Maubant and Chastan, and lay leader Paul Chong Ha-sang. Across successive persecutions, the office became one of the principal institutions used to interrogate leaders of the Korean Church.

Today the site does not preserve the original government building; it functions as a Catholic historical place remembering the location and events associated with it. As part of the Vatican-approved Seoul Catholic Pilgrimage Route’s “Road of Life,” it remains a place to reflect on interrogation, persecution, and the confession of faith.