Gokseong Catholic Church History Museum Completion 'Blessing Ceremony' Held

County Prepares for 200th Anniversary of Jeonghae Persecution and World Youth Day
Pilgrimage Trail Development and Infrastructure Expansion to Attract Residents

Blessing ceremony held on the 15th at the Catholic History Museum of Gokseong Catholic Church, Gwangju Archdiocese. Provided by Gokseong County

Gokseong County, South Jeolla Province (Governor Cho Sangrae), announced on the 17th that a blessing ceremony was held on the 15th at the Gokseong Catholic Church Catholic History Museum to celebrate the completion of the museum.

Gokseong is the origin of the Jeonghae Persecution of Catholics in 1827 (the 27th year of King Sunjo's reign). To commemorate its history of martyrdom, the county has been promoting the "Jeonghae Persecution Peace Pilgrimage Trail Project," and the completion of the Catholic History Museum is a significant outcome of these efforts.

The blessing ceremony was attended by Archbishop Ok Hyunjin of the Gwangju Archdiocese, who hosted the event, Myung Changhwan, Vice Governor of South Jeolla Province, Kwon Hyangyeop, Member of the National Assembly, Cho Sangrae, Governor of Gokseong County, Kang Deokgu, Chairman of the Gokseong County Council, Jung Yonguk, Director of Religious Affairs at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and about 150 Catholic believers, all celebrating the completion of the museum.

Gokseong County plans to systematically establish a pilgrimage course by linking the newly completed Gokseong Catholic Church Catholic History Museum with the Jeonghae Persecution Multipurpose Complex Center, which is scheduled for completion in April. The county is focusing on creating a key space where pilgrims and tourists can experience spirituality and history while staying in the region, thereby revitalizing the local economy and attracting new residents.

Notably, 2027 marks the 200th anniversary of the Jeonghae Persecution and the year Korea will host the "2027 World Youth Day," the world's largest Catholic youth event. The county sees next year's event as an important opportunity to promote itself both domestically and internationally and is accelerating preparations to attract many pilgrims and tourists. To this end, a preparation support task force has been formed, and efforts are being made to develop pilgrimage courses, expand infrastructure, and operate various programs.

During the blessing ceremony, Governor Cho Sangrae said, "I congratulate the completion of the Gokseong Catholic Church Catholic History Museum," and added, "I hope this place will become a hub for pilgrims and a learning space where history and culture come alive for our residents."

Governor Cho continued, "2027 is a very meaningful year, marking both the 200th anniversary of the Jeonghae Persecution and the hosting of World Youth Day in Korea. We will prepare thoroughly so that Gokseong can become a global pilgrimage hub, not just a domestic one."