The Suwon Diocese is located in Gyeonggi-do, the very heart of the Korean Peninsula.

It is a birthplace of Korean Catholicism, where the earliest Korean scholars and believers first received the Gospel and spread it across various regions. It is a land where the breath of the Faith Ancestors still lives, a region sustained by the witness of martyrs who protected the Church during the persecutions, and a diocese now preparing for a new future within God’s saving history.

Gyeonggi-do Suwon, situated in the central region of Korea and adjacent to Seoul, holds Hwaseong Fortress (화성, Hwaseong), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and stands as a living testament to Korean history. With rapid population growth, economic concentration, and the development of new urban cities across the metropolitan area, the Suwon Diocese has grown into the second-largest diocese in Korea.

The diocese was founded on October7, 1963, the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, through Summi Pastoris, the apostolic constitution issued by Pope Paul VI.

When Jowon-dong Cathedral (조원동 주교좌성당,Jowon-dong Cathedral) was built and dedicated on May18, 1977, its patroness—Our Lady, Queen of Peace (평화의 모후)—was also chosen as the patroness of the Suwon Diocese. The title “Queen of Peace,” which was encouraged for prayer by Pope Benedict XV amid the devastation of World WarI, became the spiritual identity of the diocese. Although the universal liturgical calendar no longer includes this feast, the Suwon Diocese continues to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady, Queen of Peace on 9July as its official diocesan feast.

The diocese covers the region of Gyeonggi-do south of the Han River, excluding areas under the Diocese of Incheon. It encompasses 18 cities and 1 county, covering an area of 5,525 km², and is organized into two episcopal districts.

• First Episcopal District:11 deaneries, 114 parishes
• Second Episcopal District:11 deaneries, 108 parishes