Seoul Anglican Cathedral

Seoul Anglican Cathedral is a Romanesque style Anglican church founded by Bishop C.J Corfe in 1922. It is located just west of Deoksugung Palace and Seoul Plaza. Its official name is Cathedral Church of Saint Mary the Virgin and Saint Nicholas.

In 1889, Charles John “C.J.” Corfe, who was born in 1843, became the first bishop of Anglican Church of Korea. The church was known then as Joseonjonggoseong Church of Korea.

Construction began on Seoul Anglican Cathedral in 1922 under the direction of Rev. Mark Trollope, the third bishop of Korea. The architect was Arthur Dixon.

Work was completed four years later in 1926. Since the Holy Communion was completed in 1890, the Anglican Church of Korea considers this the year the cathedral was founded.

The style of the building is European Romanesque with some characteristics of Korean architecture. The original plan was for the cathedral to be cross shaped. This plan fell through due to financial problems caused by the occupation of Korea by Japan.

Expansion work, as originally planned, began in 1991. This marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the cathedral. Expansion was to follow the original blueprints created by architect Arthur Dixon. Unfortunately, the blueprints were misplaced. The original blueprints were found in a museum in England allowing work to eventually being completed in 1996.

Nearby Sights

Old Seoul City Hall (Seoul Metropolitan Library)

The Old Seoul City Hall, now the Seoul Metropolitan Library, is a Renaissance style building that served as the city hall of Seoul from 1945 until 2008. After over four years of construction, the new city hall building opened on August 27, 2012. The building was slated for demolition multiple times but was saved because of its historical importance. It has now been converted to the Seoul Metropolitan Library.

Deoksugung Palace

Deoksugung Palace was the location where Prince Wolsan, older brother of King Seongjong, lived. At the time, the residence was not known as a palace yet. The area consisted of residential buildings for descendants of the royal family.

Seoul Plaza

Seoul Plaza is an oval public space located in front of City Hall in the heart of the city. Once a traffic circle, it is now used for events and festivals. Originally, a large water fountain could be found in the center of the traffic circle, but it has since been removed.

Cheonggye Plaza

Cheonggye Plaza is a public square in central Seoul that commemorates the restoration of the Cheonggyecheon Stream which was once an elevated highway. The plaza is located at the head of the stream which runs 8.4 kilometers (5.2 miles) through the heart of Seoul.

Chungdong First Methodist Church

Chungdong First Methodist Church, established in 1897 by American missionary Henry Appenzeller, is the first Protestant church of Korea. The beautiful red brick church is located just down the road from Deoksugung Palace and Seoul Plaza.

Cheonggyecheon Stream

Cheonggyecheon Stream is an 8.4 kilometer (5.2 mile) waterway and public space that runs from west to east through the heart of downtown Seoul. During the Joseon Dynasty, the stream was known as Gaecheon, meaning open stream.

Last Updated on Oct 21, 2023