Jeonju

Jeonju Jeondong Catholic Cathedral

Jeonju Jeondong Catholic Cathedral is a Romanesque-and-Byzantine-style Catholic cathedral in central Jeonju, built between 1908 and 1914 on a site historically significant in Korean Catholic history — the location where two of Korea's earliest Catholic martyrs (Yun Ji-chung and Kwon Sang-yeon) were executed in 1791 during early Korean Catholic persecutions. The cathedral was built using bricks from the dismantled Jeonju city walls, giving the building a literal architectural connection to the surrounding city. The structure's distinctive red-and-grey brick facade, three onion-domed cupolas, and large interior nave make it one of the most architecturally striking Catholic buildings in Korea. Designated as Historic Site of South Korea, the cathedral is one of central Jeonju's most-photographed landmarks. Pairs with the Jeonju Hanok Village circuit and Gyeonggijeon Shrine.