Myeongdong Cathedral

mongsang_magazine

[Seoul Myeongdong Cathedral]

Historic Site No. 258 Myeongdong Cathedral, the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul
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Myeongdong Cathedral, the symbol of Catholicism

This place where Myeongdong Cathedral is located is located on Myeongdong Hill, which is very important in the history of Catholicism in Korea. It is also the home of Kim Beom-woo (Thomas), the first martyr. In his own home, he studied Catholic books with other priests and performed public service etiquette. In the meantime, he was caught by the grape office authorities, and Kim Beom-woo was arrested, tortured, and died on the way to exile. After that, Korea's first parish hall, 'Myeongdong Cathedral' was born.
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The person who designed the Myeongdong Cathedral was directly in charge of priest Kost (Korean name: Ko Eui-seon). Although it was the first Gothic-style building built in Korea, at that time, there were no engineers in Korea who could build a Western-style building. Technicians from China, such as bricklayers, carpenters, and plasterers, worked there. During the construction process, the Sino-Japanese War broke out and the construction was delayed.

Starting with the foundation ceremony in May 1892, and around the completion of the wall construction in 1896, Cost (Euiseon Ko), who was in charge of the design, died, and the priest Pwanel took over and completed the interior construction, and the construction was held in May 1898. The construction period alone took six years, and at that time, the construction cost was 60,000 dollars.

The main materials used for the cathedral were red bricks and gray bricks. The source of these bricks is near Yongsanbang. This is the Han River Tong Yeonwaso. I have a lot to say. It is certain that it was built with bricks produced in Korea.

It is about 68m long, about 29m wide, and about 23m high, covering an area of about 420 pyeong. The tallest part of the building is the bell tower, which is about 46m high. All of the windows use pointed arches to show a Gothic-style aspect, and the minarets are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the grand spire.
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Myeongdong Cathedral has a very important symbol of the church as a religious building. It was born through many history and events before the cathedral was located on this site. In this way, Myeongdong Cathedral became the standard for suggesting the direction of other parishes that were created later. It lays the groundwork for a new pastoral activity.

Also, sooner or later, this place is not just a symbolic religious building, but a social place. It is not a visit to worship and Mass. Family and friends visit together to take a break, and more and more people come to take pictures like the author. As the Christmas season approaches, there is nowhere to set foot. It has become a representative space of Myeong-dong and the face of Myeong-dong.

It is the result of enduring sad and difficult times and standing firm. Perhaps he is being comforted by the pain of that time, even in modern times. There is nothing more comforting than having many people come to remember and come to pray with sincerity.
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location
-74, Myeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul