'Tracing the Footsteps of Father Kim Dae-geon'... Incheon City Develops Island Pilgrimage Tourism Course

Catholic Church and Incheon Tourism Organization Sign Agreement to Promote Island Tourism

Incheon City is developing a tourism course that links island pilgrimage sites with surrounding tourist attractions. On the 14th, the city signed a 'Incheon Island Tourism Activation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)' with the Catholic Diocese of Incheon and the Incheon Tourism Organization.

According to the agreement, these organizations will join forces to promote attracting tourists to Incheon’s islands and revitalizing pilgrimage sites, including developing island tourism products linked to Catholic pilgrimage sites, conducting content research and surveys, expanding domestic and international tourists, and building networks among the signatory organizations.

Each organization plans to develop unique religious and historical cultural content and tourism courses for Incheon’s islands, and to commercialize the islands’ pilgrimage core bases as tourist products by linking them with nearby tourist attractions.

Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, Jeong Sin-cheol, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Incheon (John the Baptist, third from the left), and Baek Hyun, President of Incheon Tourism Organization (third from the right), are taking a commemorative photo after signing the "Incheon Island Tourism Promotion Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)" on the 14th.
[Photo by Incheon City]

First, they plan to develop pilgrimage tourism products such as 'Father Kim Dae-geon’s Last Voyage Footsteps,' 'Baengnyeongdo Chapel Pilgrimage Trail,' and 'West Coast Schweitzer, Father Choi Bun-do’s Footsteps' targeting Baengnyeong, Daecheong, Socheong Islands, and Deokjeokdo, making them representative tourist attractions of the islands.

Baengnyeong, Daecheong, and Socheong Islands have Baengnyeong Cathedral, where part of the remains of Korea’s first priest Saint Kim Dae-geon Andrea (1821?1846) are enshrined, and Daecheong Cathedral, newly built in 2021, the 200th anniversary of his birth. On Socheongdo, where he once hid, a statue of Father Kim is erected.

Also, on Deokjeokdo, near the Sopo-ri Beach in the Pine Tree Hill, there is a monument honoring the achievements of American priest Father Choi Bun-do (Benedict Zweber, 1932?2001), known as the 'Schweitzer of the West Sea Islands,' who opened the Yu Peter Hospital, developed electricity and water supply projects, and led the Sopo-ri reclamation project.

Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said at the signing ceremony, "Incheon City is developing tourism content by utilizing the 168 islands with diverse attractions and the natural scenery created by the West Sea," adding, "Starting with this agreement, we will develop programs linking the islands’ history and religious pilgrimage sites to promote stay-type tourism and revitalize island tourism."