Seosomun History Park

Seosomun History Park is a resting place in the city center that boasts a variety of trees throughout all four seasons. Although currently developed as a park, it was originally the 'Execution Site at the Intersection Outside Seosomun Gate,' where not only soldiers of the Seosomun Battle during the late Joseon period and other social reform forces, but also many Catholics from the Sinyu Persecution to the Byeongin Persecution were executed. Among the executed Catholics, 44 became saints, establishing it as the largest Catholic pilgrimage 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 equipped with convenience facilities for visitors, including a library, seminar room, souvenir shop, café, and administrative office. The second and third basement floors house the Sky Plaza, a memorial hall, and the history museum consisting of a permanent exhibition hall and a special exhibition hall. The Sky Plaza is a place of commemoration honoring the noble spirit of those sacrificed for freedom of thought and religion; despite being underground, its 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 level.