Hwangdun Catholic Church

History & origins

Catholic life in the Hwangdun area goes back far earlier than the establishment of the present parish. Historical materials on Yongsomak Parish record that during the Byeongin Persecution of 1866, several Catholic families fleeing from the Suwon area passed through Pyeongchang and settled for a time in Hwangdun. They later moved toward places such as Omi in Jecheon, and this movement of believers became part of the wider history that eventually led to the Catholic village and parish at Yongsomak. Hwangdun was therefore one of the mountain refuges along the route of Catholics displaced by persecution.

After Yongsomak Parish was established, Hwangdun continued as one of its mission communities. The Catholic Encyclopedia of Korea records that in April 1991 the Hwangdun mission hall was relocated, rebuilt, and blessed. This confirms that an organized Catholic community and liturgical space existed in Hwangdun well before the present parish was created. Catholics in the mountain area sustained their faith through the mission station while remaining linked to Yongsomak Parish.

After this long period as a mission community, Hwangdun was established as an independent parish of the Diocese of Wonju on August 17, 2017. The Guide to the Catholic Church in Korea records this date, names the Sacred Heart of Jesus as patron, and identifies the parish territory as Hwangdun-ri, Songgye-ri, and Omi-ri in Jecheon. The history of Hwangdun Church can thus be understood as a continuous movement from the memory of Catholics seeking refuge during persecution, through the growth of a mission station under Yongsomak Parish, to the establishment of an independent parish.