The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Haemi, South Korea

In 1866, Chungcheong Governor Cho Byeong-gap ordered the mass execution of Catholics imprisoned at Haemieupseong Fortress. Soldiers stripped the prisoners, bound their necks to wooden planks with ropes, and buried them alive in pits outside the West Gate. As earth filled their graves, witnesses heard the condemned crying out "Yesumaria"—a Koreanized plea to Jesus and Mary that became synonymous with the site itself. Over the following sixteen years, more than one thousand believers would die here, their names largely unrecorded, their faith attested only by the soil that received them. Today, Haemi International Catholic Martyrs' Shrine rises beside that execution ground, designated by the Vatican in 2021 as an international pilgrimage destination—only the second in Korea after Seoul's Catholic Pilgrimage Route. A sixteen-meter memorial tower stands where the martyrs fell, honoring those whose names history forgot but whose witness endures. Pope Francis celebrated the closing Mass of the Sixth Asian Youth Day here in 2014, drawing hundreds of thousands to the fortress where anonymous farmers and commoners had given everything for their faith.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

King Seongjong completed Haemieupseong Fortress in 1491 as a military command post controlling the Chungcheong region and defending against Japanese pirates along Korea's western coast. The fortress walls stretched 1.8 kilometers around a perimeter enclosing nearly 200,000 square meters, rising five meters high with stone foundations and earthen ramparts. For three centuries it served its military purpose quietly, until the Joseon court's persecution of Catholics transformed it into something else entirely. The first Catholic missionaries had reached Korea in the late eighteenth century, and by 1790 the faith had spread among commoners despite imperial prohibition. Haemieupseong, with its military authority over the region, became a collection point for captured Catholics. The persecutions intensified through successive waves—1801, 1839, 1846, and catastrophically from 1866 to 1882. Within the fortress walls, prisoners faced interrogation beneath a six-hundred-year-old hoya tree, its branches used to suspend and torture those who refused to apostatize. Outside the West Gate, at a site called Yeosutgol, soldiers executed the condemned by live burial. Among the earliest martyrs was Pius Kim Jin-hu, great-grandfather of Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon, Korea's first native priest. Arrested in 1804, Pius endured ten years of imprisonment at Haemieupseong before his execution in 1814. His descendant Andrew would be martyred three decades later, canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1984 among the 103 Korean Martyrs. But for every Kim whose name survived, dozens died anonymously. Of the estimated one thousand to two thousand Catholics executed at Haemi, only 132 names were ever recorded. In 1935, Father Peter Beom excavated the Yeosutgol site and recovered human remains mixed with the earth. Sixty years later, in 1995, the Church moved these relics to their original burial ground and erected the memorial structures that now mark the site. The Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization designated Haemi an international pilgrimage destination on March 1, 2021—the two hundredth anniversary of Venerable Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop's birth—recognizing the site's significance for the universal Church.

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Haemi

Haemi International Catholic Martyrs' Shrine

해미 국제성지 The shrine complex encompasses the Yeosutgol execution ground, a memorial tower rising sixteen meters above the burial pits, and a 1.2-kilometer Way of the Cross winding through the grounds. The Memorial Hall displays excavated remains and relics from the martyrdom site, presenting the human cost of persecution through fragmentary bones and simple possessions recovered from the earth. A gathering plaza accommodates major liturgical celebrations, including the papal Mass of 2014 that drew an estimated 800,000 pilgrims. Address 46 Hanseo 1-ro, Haemi-myeon, Seosan, South Chungcheong Province GPS 36.7081, 126.5432 Map Google Maps Web haemi.or.kr

Haemieupseong Fortress

해미읍성 The fortress where Catholics awaited execution stands among Korea's best-preserved Joseon-era fortifications. Unlike mountain fortresses typical of the period, Haemieupseong rises on flat ground, its stone and earthen walls still tracing the original 1.8-kilometer perimeter. Inside, the ancient hoya tree where prisoners were tortured remains standing, its gnarled trunk bearing witness to centuries of suffering. The South Gate is original; other gates are careful reconstructions following a 1973 restoration. Interpretive markers throughout the fortress grounds identify sites connected to the Catholic persecutions. Address 143 Nammun 2-ro, Haemi-myeon, Seosan, South Chungcheong Province GPS 36.7136, 126.5489 Map Google Maps

Yeosutgol Martyrdom Site

여숫골 Outside the fortress's West Gate, this depression in the earth marks where soldiers buried Catholics alive during the great persecutions. The name derives from the martyrs' final cries—"Yesumaria"—which local people heard rising from the ground as victims were covered with soil. Father Peter Beom's 1935 excavation confirmed the site's grim purpose, recovering bones and personal effects from the pits. The remains were returned here in 1995, now marked by memorial stones and incorporated into the shrine complex.

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

Feast of the Korean Martyrs — September 20

The universal Church celebrates the 103 Korean Martyrs canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1984, and Haemi marks this feast with particular solemnity given its connection to the persecution era. Special Masses draw pilgrims from across Korea to pray at the site where so many unnamed witnesses joined their suffering to that of the canonized saints. The day includes veneration of the relics displayed in the Memorial Hall and processions along the Way of the Cross.

Anniversary of Pope Francis's Visit — August 17

The closing Mass of the Sixth Asian Youth Day in 2014 brought Pope Francis to Haemieupseong Fortress, where he celebrated the Eucharist before hundreds of thousands of young Catholics from across the continent. The anniversary is observed each year as a reminder of the shrine's international significance and the Holy Father's commendation of Korea's martyrs as witnesses for the whole Church.

🛏️ Where to Stay

Benikea Hotel Seosan ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Modern hotel with breakfast included, fitness center, and free parking, located 12 km from the shrine. Reserve this hotel Seosan Aria Hotel ⭐⭐⭐ — Lakeside property with comfortable rooms and bathtubs, 15 km from Haemi. Reserve this hotel Vovo Hotel ⭐⭐⭐ — Central Seosan location near the bus terminal, convenient for pilgrims arriving by public transport. Reserve this hotel

🚗 Getting There

By Air: Incheon International Airport (ICN) is approximately 120 km northeast of Haemi. From the airport, pilgrims can take a bus to Seoul and transfer to Seosan-bound services, or arrange private transport directly. By Bus: Express buses depart Seoul Central City Bus Terminal for Seosan Bus Terminal every 20 minutes, with the journey taking approximately 1 hour 50 minutes and costing $5-10. From Seosan, local buses or taxis cover the 12 km to Haemi. Alternatively, buses from Seoul Nambu Bus Terminal reach Seosan hourly in about 2 hours. By Train: Seosan has no railway station. The nearest station is Hongseong Station on the Janghang Line, approximately 40 km south. From Hongseong, local buses or taxis connect to Haemi. By Car: Seosan lies at the intersection of the Seohaean Expressway and Daejeon-Dangjin Expressway, approximately 125 km south of Seoul. The drive takes about 1.5 hours under normal traffic conditions. From Seosan, follow signs to Haemi-myeon; the shrine and fortress are well marked.

📚 Further Reading

Books: Grayson, James H. Korea: A Religious History — Comprehensive academic study of Korean religious traditions including the growth and persecution of Catholicism. Online Resources: Korean Martyrs — Vatican biography of the 103 Korean Martyrs canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1984. (Vatican.va) Pope Francis in Korea: Homily at Asian Youth Day — Full text of the papal homily delivered at Haemieupseong Fortress on August 17, 2014. (Vatican.va)

🔗 Useful Links

Haemi International Catholic Martyrs' Shrine — Official shrine website with visitor information and pilgrimage resources. (Korean) Diocese of Daejeon — Diocesan website for the Catholic community serving the Haemi region. (Korean) Seosan City Tourism — Official tourism portal with information on accommodations and attractions. (Korean)

🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations

Solmoe Holy Ground (35 km) — Birthplace of Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon, Korea's first native priest and most celebrated martyr. The site preserves his family home and a memorial church honoring his legacy. Sinri Holy Ground (45 km) — Site where Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon was arrested in 1846, leading to his martyrdom. A memorial church and museum mark the location. Seoul Catholic Pilgrimage Route (125 km) — Korea's first Vatican-designated international pilgrimage site, connecting martyrdom locations throughout the capital including Jeoldusan Martyrs' Shrine and Myeongdong Cathedral.

🪶 Closing Reflection

"The martyrs of Korea – and innumerable others throughout Asia – handed over their bodies to their persecutors; to us they have handed on a perennial witness that the light of Christ's truth dispels all darkness, and the love of Christ is gloriously triumphant."

— Pope Francis, Homily at Haemi, August 17, 2014