THE STORY OF YANGCHON This church is unique because it was built from the ruins of an older cathedral. During the Korean War, it was seized and used as a communist party office. How to Explore:
Click the hotspots to hear stories about the "Bamboo Spears" resistance.
Look for the narrative about the "Hidden Bell."
Yangchon Station Church, established in 1888 and rebuilt in 1949, is a traditional Korean wooden building located in Yesan. Although now a station church, Yangchon originally served as the center of the parish before the headquarters moved to Hapdeok in 1899. The building consists of four bays by two bays, with the altar placed to the right of the main entrance and ancillary rooms to the left. Its distinctive feature is an outward-projecting central altar wall flanked by three exterior columns.
Initially a thatched-roof structure, the church was later updated with corrugated metal roofing. The site includes a metal fence, concrete-paved yard, a bell tower (currently removed for restoration), and a pilgrim shelter built after a major restoration in 2017. The church also played a historic role during the Korean War when it was used by North Korean forces. Today, it is preserved as an important origin site of Hapdeok Parish.