Myeongdong Cathedral
명동대성당
It publishes no visiting hours, because it is a parish rather than an attraction — what it publishes is a Mass timetable. The one clock that does cover the site belongs to 1898 Plaza, the archdiocese-run arcade under the approach, open 09:00 to 22:00 every day but two.
Language
Place information
- Korean name
- 명동대성당
- Address
- 74 Myeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
- Opening hours
- not published by the operator 1898 Plaza 09:00–22:00 the spirituality centre's permanent confessional Mon 13:00–17:00 the spirituality centre's permanent confessional Tue~Fri 11:00–20:00 the spirituality centre's permanent confessional Sat·Sun 10:00–20:00
- Closed
- 1898 Plaza Seollal · 1898 Plaza Chuseok
- Hours notes
- The church itself has no closing day. Mass is said daily — Sunday 07:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00 and 21:00; Monday 07:00, 10:00, 18:00; Tuesday to Friday 07:00, 10:00, 18:00, 19:00; Saturday 07:00, 10:00 and vigil Masses at 18:00 and 19:00, with the 09:00 Sunday Mass in English. These are a liturgical schedule, not visiting hours.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Admission
- Not published by the operator
What to see
The cathedral
Designed by Father Coste and finished in 1898, the first brick church built in Korea. The plan is a cross, the nave stands 23 m and the tower 45 m, and the Gothic ornament is stripped back — the Gothic is something you feel inside rather than see outside. The bricks were made in Korea, in more than twenty shapes and in two colours, red and grey, used against each other. The ground was the house of the martyr Kim Beom-u.
1898 Square
The basement level connected to the church: shops, a tea room, and space used for exhibitions, performances and classes. It is open to anyone, believer or not, at the cathedral's own address one floor down.
The cathedral selected
Nearby
Myeongdong Shopping Street
Central Seoul's best-known shopping district for cosmetics, fashion and tax-refund shopping. Treat it as a neighborhood rather than a single mall because individual stores keep their own hours.
Hadongkwan
A gomtang house in Myeongdong. It opens at seven in the morning and closes at four in the afternoon.
Myeongdong Kyoja
A kalguksu house open since 1966. The menu runs to four dishes and it takes no reservations. The main branch moved to Toegye-ro in 2026 and now stands in front of exit 8 of Myeongdong Station.
Hyemindang
A shop selling confectionery and desserts, run together with the coffee shop across the lane.
Frequently asked questions
What is 1898 Plaza?
A basement arcade under the approach to the cathedral, built and run by the Archdiocese of Seoul and named for the year the cathedral was consecrated. It is open 09:00–22:00 daily, closing only on Seollal and Chuseok, and holds cafes, restaurants, a bakery, a bookshop, the archdiocese's gift shop and Gallery 1898.
Why does the official website not load?
mdsd.or.kr is in a permanent redirect loop: every request returns a 301 to the same URL, over both HTTP and HTTPS. Verified with two independent clients on 5 August 2026. Use the Archdiocese of Seoul's site instead — it is the registered owner and manager of the cathedral.
When was the cathedral designated a heritage site?
22 November 1977, as a National Historic Site covering 1,668 m². It is sometimes cited as Historic Site No. 258, but Korea has since dropped the numbering.
Is Gallery 1898 free to visit?
It is the Archdiocese of Seoul's only cultural-ministry art space, showing contemporary Korean work as well as religious art, and it is open 10:00–18:00 — four hours earlier than the rest of the arcade closes.
Stories about this place
- Four Places to Visit in Myeongdong: Namdaemun Market, the Cathedral, Shinsegae Main Store and N Seoul Tower
Four places within twenty minutes of each other, compared on what you see, when each one opens and which day to avoid. No two of them keep the same hours, so when you go decides the list before what you want to see does.
Nearby Food
- Five Seoul Korean Barbecue Restaurants: Hanwoo, Galbi, Bulgogi and Pork Belly
- What the broth is made of — eight Seoul houses, seven different bases
- Northern Korean Food in Seoul: Naengmyeon, Eobok-jaengban, Mandu and Kongbiji
- Seven Seoul houses that open for breakfast — before eight in the morning
- Six Seoul houses that make the noodle by hand — kalguksu, guksi, sujebi
- Enjoying Seoul's Cafe Culture
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