Explanation
'Solmeo' gets its name from a small cluster of pine trees. The first Korean priest, Saint Kim Dae-gun Andrea was born here on August 21, 1821 and when he was seven, he escaped persecution by following his grandfather to Handeok-dong, Yongin (Golmaemashil). Furthermore, it is where four generations of ancestors such as his great-grandfather Kim Jin-hu (martyred in 1814), great uncle Kim Han-hyun (1816), father Kim Jae-jun (1839), and priest Kim Dae-gun himself (martyred in 1846) lived.
He was chosen as a theological student in Golmaemashil and studied in Macao. In 1846, he was ordained as priest by Bishop Ferréol in Shanghai, Kim Ga Hang Cathedral. After his return to Korea, he worked in Yongin until September 1846 when he was tried, executed and died a martyr when he was only 26. Pope Johannes Paulus II appointed him a saint during his visit to Korea in May 1984. In Solmoe, Priest Kim Dae-gun’s statue and a memorial stands underneath the pine trees and his remains are placed inside the nearby cathedral.
Inquiry
+82-41-362-5021
Homepage
www.solmoe.or.kr (Korean only)
Information Use
Contact and Information : • 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330
(Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
• For more info: +82-41-362-5021, 5022
Parking facilities : Available
Hours : 10:00-17:00
* Advanced reservation required for attending group mission ceremony
More information
Restrooms
Available
Available Facilities
Kim Dae-gun Andrea memorial hall, outdoor Catholic Church, parking lot, etc.
Admission Fees
Free
Location
132, Solmoe-ro, Ugang-myeon, Dangjin-si, Chungcheongnam-do