Yakhyeon Catholic Church서울 약현성당

About

Yakhyeon Catholic Church is a small church building. After freedom of religion was granted in 1886, the number of Catholics grew, and the church was founded as a mission station under Myeongdong Cathedral. In 1891, Father Doucet, then the parish priest of Myeongdong Cathedral, acquired land in Hap-dong, and Father Coste, the assistant bishop, designed the church and supervised its construction. Yakhyeon Catholic Church was completed the following year, in 1892. The area where the church stands was once used to grow medicinal herbs and is said to have been called Yakjeonhyeon, meaning "hill with herb fields." The name was later shortened to Yakhyeon and used for the area around the hill that runs from Malli-dong to Seoul Station, which is how the church got its name. It is notable as the first Western-style church building in Korea. The brick building has some Gothic elements, but overall it follows the Romanesque style, with heavy semicircular arches and small windows. Because it is relatively small and the eaves are low, the side windows have round arches rather than pointed ones. However, the main entrance at the front and the entrance windows projecting from the left and right sides have pointed arches, giving them a Gothic look.