Korean county hopes Catholic martyrs' sites will spark tourism

Published: 2004-04-15

SEOUL, South Korea (CNS) -- A county government in South Korea is hoping interest in Catholic martyrs will help breathe life into local tourism. The administration of coastal Dangjin County, about 50 miles southwest of Seoul, announced that it has allocated funds to develop "Catholic-themed" tourist attractions, including two sites linked to the Korean martyrs, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. A press statement said pilgrimage sites in the county are visited annually by about 100,000 Catholics and others. It said the sites are important to Korea's cultural heritage and are landmarks of the early Korean church. The most well-known sites are Solmoe, birthplace of St. Andrew Kim, the first Korean priest; the Sinni mission station; and Haptok Church.

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