THE KUKMIN DAILY

The Seoul Anglican Cathedral, constructed under Japanese colonialism as “a central place of mission for the people of this land,” and harmonizing Eastern and Western (Romanesque) architecture, has been unable to reveal its proud figure since 1937. In that year, the Japanese Joseon Governor-General built its Ministry of Communications, later to become the Namdaemun Annex of the National Tax Service, and from then on the cathedral was hidden from view.

As the hope of the Anglican Church of Korea to clear away the Japanese colonial damage and recover the cathedral’s historical nature, met with the desire of Seoul City to create a specialized historical and cultural space beside Sejong-daero, demolition of the old Annex started this May. Now the cathedral is totally visible from Sejong-daero (photo from Korea Press Center). The Anglican Church of Korea will open the cathedral to citizens and will work together with Seoul City in planning the adjacent park.

Fr. Kim Han-seung (photo below) of the Anglican Church said, “We are planning to offer the citizens spirituality programs and cultural space…I hope this restoration work will move the Korean church as a whole to remember the spirit of the missionaries who came to this land 100 years ago, and to reflect on our evangelical mission.”



Reporter Yang Minkyeong (grieg@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)
Photo by senior reporter Kang Min Seok


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