Bundang St. John Catholic Church

History & origins

Bundang St. John Parish was established on January 7, 1993, during the growth of Bundang New Town. It was one of the early Bundang parishes founded when the Diocese of Suwon was creating pastoral infrastructure for a newly developing urban residential area, with St. John the Apostle and Evangelist as its patron. As the Catholic population of Bundang increased and neighboring parishes were established in succession, the parish grew into one of the central axes of the local Catholic pastoral network.

After undertaking the construction of its own church, the parish dedicated the present building on October 3, 2003. Diocesan records describe the development of several new church buildings in Bundang during the 1990s, and the parish’s own official materials clearly identify 1993 as its establishment year and 2003 as the year of dedication. The community therefore moved from its initial foundation to a permanent church over roughly a decade.

On March 10, 2011, the Diocese of Suwon approved changing the parish name then in use, “Bundang John,” to “Bundang St. John,” making the identity of the patron saint more explicit in the official name. The parish later passed its twenty-fifth anniversary while continuing its role as a center for the Bundang District and the Second Vicariate.

Work to preserve the community’s memory has continued as well. According to the parish’s official materials, the St. John History Museum opened on May 25, 2025, organizing and displaying materials on the establishment of the parish, the building of its church, and the community’s growth. The museum is not merely a commemoration of the past; it allows new parishioners and future generations to encounter the formation and changes of the community from the early days of Bundang New Town. The sequence of parish establishment, church dedication, clarification of the parish name, and preservation of its history illustrates how Bundang St. John became a central community of the local Church.