1821–1846Saint Andrew Kim Taegon
Korea’s first native Catholic priest, formed within a Church sustained by lay believers. His journeys across Asia connected communities living under persecution.
Read the storyAndrew Kim Taegon’s birthplace shrine at Solmoe. Buildings and monuments commemorate his life; this point is a memorial site, not his burial location.
Select a photograph to enlarge it. Captions explain what is shown.
The Solmoe shrine complex in 2014, commemorating Andrew Kim’s birthplace. This is not the burial site at Mirinae.
Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (Jeon Han) · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo source · 13 May 2014 · Resized and converted to WebP. The source license continues to apply.Storage jars in the Solmoe grounds in 2014. Objects at the complex, not items claimed to have been used by Andrew Kim.
Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (Jeon Han) · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo source · 13 May 2014 · Resized and converted to WebP. The source license continues to apply.Andrew was born at Solmoe in 1821. The shrine introduces his family and the Korean Church’s legacy. Photographs of buildings and statues document a memorial site; they are not labelled as photographs of bodily relics. For his burial site, see Mirinae on the atlas.
Korea Tourism Organization / VISITKOREACatholic Bishops’ Conference of KoreaPope Francis visited Solmoe during his August 2014 journey to Korea. Visit records and monuments add a newer historical layer to a site recalling the nineteenth century. Check photo dates: the complex may have changed since an image was taken.
Korea Tourism Organization / VISITKOREAFrom Solmoe, Andrew’s biography connects Macau, Shanghai and Korea. The sequence shows that Asian Christian history did not simply receive distant influences: local families and lay people actively shaped their own communities.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of KoreaPope Francis / Holy SeeAndrew was born at Solmoe.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of KoreaPope Francis visited the site.
Korea Tourism Organization / VISITKOREAThe point indicates the approximate Dangjin area, not the precise altar, tomb or entrance. Use the custodian’s directions when visiting.
Sources checked: 4 October 2026 · Review by 2 January 2027
This summarizes source reports, not a physical inspection. Confirm visiting access with the custodian.
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