'Lee Seunghun Historical Park,' the Site of Korea's First Catholic Baptism in Incheon, to be Completed Next Year

Namdong-gu Jangsu-dong San135-4, 46,000㎡ Scale
Creation of History and Culture Experience Center, Bedro Square, Outdoor Stage, etc.

Aerial View of Lee Seung-hoon History Park [Provided by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] A historical park honoring Lee Seunghun Pedro, the first baptized Catholic in Korea, will open in Incheon next year.

On the 18th, Incheon City announced that it has broken ground to transform the Lee Seunghun gravesite, designated as City Monument No. 63, and its surrounding area into a park open to the public.

Scheduled for completion in December next year, the Lee Seunghun Historical Park will be developed on a 46,000㎡ site at San 135-4, Jangsu-dong, Namdong-gu. The park will include Pedro Plaza, an outdoor stage, walking trails, parking lots, and other amenities, as well as a Catholic history and culture experience center with two underground floors and one above ground, totaling 1,614㎡ in size.

The park construction cost of 11.1 billion KRW will be borne by Incheon City, while the 5 billion KRW cost for building the Catholic history and culture experience center will be covered by the Incheon Diocese Catholic Church Maintenance Foundation.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Mayor Park Namchun said, "I hope the Lee Seunghun Historical Park will become not only a pilgrimage site for Catholics but also a space for preserving historical culture and for citizens to enjoy leisure, rest, and cultural experiences."

Lee Seunghun Pedro (1756?1801) was the first Korean baptized Catholic, receiving baptism in Beijing, China in 1784. After returning to Korea, he played a leading role in forming the Catholic faith community. During the Shin-yu Persecution (1801), he was beheaded outside Seosomun along with several believers including Jeong Yakjong, and was buried in Banjugol, Jangsu-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, his ancestral burial site.

Thanks to his efforts, the Korean Catholic Church became the only church in the world that began voluntarily without foreign missionaries. From Lee Seunghun’s family, five martyrs emerged over four generations including his son, grandson, and great-grandson. This is considered a rare case in world Catholic history.

Incheon City designated the Lee Seunghun gravesite as City Monument No. 63 in 2011 to honor his achievements and has been managing it since then.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.