Jeondong Cathedral, Roman Catholic cathedral in Jeonju, South Korea
Jeondong Cathedral is a stone and brick structure in Jeonju that blends Romanesque and Byzantine architectural elements with a tall bell tower and Gothic windows spanning three floors. The building uses gray and red bricks set on a granite foundation, creating a solid and upright presence.
The site outside Pungnammun Gate was where Yun Ji-chung and Kwon Sang-yeon were executed in 1791, the first Korean Catholic martyrs, followed by the Yu brothers and others in 1801. In 1891 Father Baudounet bought a house here as a temporary parish church. Father Poisnel, who had designed Myeongdong Cathedral's interior, drew the plans; work began in 1908, the exterior was finished in 1914, and the building was consecrated on 18 June 1931.
The cathedral's patron is St. Francis Xavier, and its Korean name, Jeondong, comes from the Jeondong district where it stands. The building has often served as a film location and wedding venue, and the attached Sacred Heart Kindergarten still operates beside it. Nearby are Jeonju Sacred Heart Girls' Middle and High Schools.
The cathedral is accessible daily with opening hours that change with the seasons. Visitors should be prepared for steps, and the interior can be explored easily, while guided tours are available in multiple languages.
The granite footings came from the old Jeonju town wall: the Japanese Residency-General demolished part of the wall near Pungnammun in 1908, and the blocks were reused here. Some bricks were fired from clay taken from the same wall, and the timber came from Seungamsan.
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