Seoul 2019: Myeongdong Cathedral

As I arrived back in the Myeongdong neighborhood I walked past the Myeongdong Cathedral. This was the first Roman Catholic parish church to be built in Korea and also the first Gothic-style building to be constructed in the country. The land for Myeongdong Cathedral was first purchased in the 1880s but construction wouldn’t start until 1892 because the national government at the time was trying to slow down the speed of Catholicism in Korea. Construction would be finished in 1898 and the cathedral has been a major landmark in Myeongdong ever since.

Myeongdong Cathedral was closed to visitors when I passed by, so I’m guessing I must have arrived when there was a weekday mass going on inside. Next time I’m in Seoul I’ll try to come back to Myeongdong Cathedral when it’s open to the public.