Seosomun Historical Park

Seosomun History Park is a resting place in the city center that boasts various types of trees throughout all four seasons. Although currently developed as a park, it was originally the 'Seosomun Outside Intersection Execution Site,' where many Catholic believers were executed from the Sinyu Persecution to the Byeongin Persecution, as well as social reform forces such as soldiers from the Seosomun Battle in the late Joseon Dynasty. Among the executed Catholics, 44 became saints, establishing it as the largest Catholic holy site in Korea. Above ground, Seosomun History Park features a history park and citizen convenience facilities, while underground it houses a memorial hall, Sky Plaza, history museum, educational and convenience facilities, and a parking lot. The Martyr's Memorial Tower, erected in 1984, has been preserved as is, with the plaza placed at the center of the park and developed into green and resting spaces. It has been transformed into a healing park by planting 7,100 trees (45 species) including pine, king oak, and roses, and 100,000 herbaceous plants (33 species) such as iris, pink muhly, and silver grass. The first basement floor is arranged with convenience facilities for visitors, including a library, seminar room, souvenir shop, café, and management office. The second and third basement floors house the Sky Plaza, a memorial hall, and a history museum consisting of a permanent exhibition hall and a special exhibition hall. The Sky Plaza is a place of remembrance honoring the noble spirit of those sacrificed for freedom of thought and religion; despite being underground, the ceiling is open, allowing visitors to see the sky as its name suggests. Seosomun History Park symbolically reveals the historical legitimacy and gravity of an underground cultural space by connecting key points such as the museum's Sky Plaza to the ground.