A Marian shrine in South Korea has begun construction on a 200-metre tunnel dedicated to remembering the country’s Catholic martyrs.
The project is underway at the Namyang Shrine, a site where thousands of Catholics were killed during 19th-century persecutions under the Joseon Dynasty. The new development, to be known as Martyrs Hill, will serve as a place of prayer and reflection.
Among Korea’s best-known martyrs are St Andrew Kim Taegon, the first Korean-born priest, and St Paul Chong Hasang, a lay leader who helped establish the early church. They are among 103 Korean martyrs canonised by St John Paul II in 1984.
It is estimated that around 9,000 Catholics were killed between 1866 and 1886, nearly half of the Catholic population at the time.
Suwon Bishop Germanus Kwak Jin-sang presided over the groundbreaking ceremony, joined by clergy, religious and lay faithful.
Fr Francis Xavier Lee Sang-gak, rector of the shrine, said the tunnel is intended to help visitors “encounter martyrdom” in a reflective way.
The space will include prayer stations and pathways dedicated to penance, obedience and peace, culminating in a chapel.
