Roots of the Korean CatholicChurch

In 1855, Bishop Berneux established St. Joseph Seminary (성요셉신학당, Seong-yosepSinhakdang) in Baeron, beginning the training of Korean priests within Joseon. He also founded two woodblock-printing houses in Seoul to translate and publish catechetical texts such as Cheonjusonggyogonggwa and Seonggyo Yorimundap. In 1882, Bishop Blanc, the seventh Vicar Apostolic, established Jonghyeon Parish—today’s Myeongdong Parish (명동 본당, Myeongdong Bondang)—based on the former Myeongdong chapel located in the home of Kim Beom-u, one of the earliest lay leaders.

Establishment and Division of the Seoul Apostolic Vicariate

With the dedication of Myeongdong Cathedral (명동대성당,Myeongdong Daeseongdang) in 1898, churches were built throughout the country and evangelization flourished. As the number of faithful grew rapidly and extended as far as Jeju and Gando, the Apostolic Vicariate of Daegu was separated from the Apostolic Vicariate of Korea in 1911. At this time, the original Apostolic Vicariate of Korea was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Seoul (경성대목구, Gyeongseong Daemokgu) and its jurisdiction was limited to the regions north of Chungcheong-do. During the Japanese occupation, the Church suffered severe oppression. After the outbreak of the Pacific War in December 1941, the situation worsened as the Governor-General’s Office began arresting foreign missionaries and attempted to appoint Japanese clergy as heads of all vicariates. In early 1942, Father No Ki-nam (노기남) was ordained the first Korean bishop and appointed the tenth Vicar Apostolic of Seoul. With this, the Apostolic Vicariate of Seoul finally became independent from the Paris Foreign Missions Society.

Liberation and Hardship

After the liberation of Korea in 1945, the number of parishes in the Apostolic Vicariate of Seoul increased to sixteen by the outbreak of the Korean War in1950. However, the war resulted in the destruction of churches, the arrest or killing of many clergy, and the loss of numerous faithful. After the 1953 armistice, the vicariate rebuilt itself with the help of the international community, and by the late 1950s the number of parishes had grown to twenty-nine. In 1968, Bishop Kim Soo-hwan (김수환) was appointed Archbishop of Seoul. On October 6 of that year, the Holy See celebrated the beatification of twenty-four martyrs of the Byung-in Persecution, bringing the Korean Church to honor a total of 103 Blessed Martyrs.

Growth and Development of the Archdiocese of Seoul

In 1974, the arrest of Bishop Ji Hak-sun of Wonju prompted the Archdiocese of Seoul to take an active role in defending human dignity and addressing social issues.

In May 1984, the Church celebrated the 200thanniversary of Korean Catholicism, during which Pope John Paul II presided at the canonization of the 103 Korean Martyr Saints. In October 1989, the Archdiocese hosted the 44th International Eucharistic Congress at Yeouido Plaza. Around this period, the number of Catholics in Seoul increased rapidly, but the growth also revealed challenges such as oversized parishes and the pressures of an expanding middle class. To address these issues, the archdiocese promoted the Small Christian Community Movement and other pastoral initiatives. In June 1998, Archbishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk (정진석) was installed as Archbishop of Seoul. He convened a diocesan synod and, at its conclusion, promulgated the pastoral letter “With Hope,to God”. The synod acknowledged that the Korean Church had focused heavily on external growth without achieving corresponding qualitative development. In response, the archdiocese designated overseas missions, ministry to North Korea, and the pastoral priority of life and the family as its highest concerns. In June 2012, Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung (염수정) succeeded as Archbishop of Seoul. In August 2014, during Pope Francis’ visit to Korea, the beatification of 124 Korean martyrs was celebrated. With this, the Korean Church received the grace of honoring 124 additional Blesseds, following the canonized 103 Martyr Saints.