Seoul Anglican Cathedral is a Romanesque style Anglican church founded by Bishop C.J Corfe in 1922. It is located just west of Deoksugung Palace and Seoul Plaza. Its official name is Cathedral Church of Saint Mary the Virgin and Saint Nicholas.
In 1889, Charles John “C.J.” Corfe, who was born in 1843, became the first bishop of Anglican Church of Korea. The church was known then as Joseonjonggoseong Church of Korea.
Construction began on Seoul Anglican Cathedral in 1922 under the direction of Rev. Mark Trollope, the third bishop of Korea. The architect was Arthur Dixon.
Work was completed four years later in 1926. Since the Holy Communion was completed in 1890, the Anglican Church of Korea considers this the year the cathedral was founded.
The style of the building is European Romanesque with some characteristics of Korean architecture. The original plan was for the cathedral to be cross shaped. This plan fell through due to financial problems caused by the occupation of Korea by Japan.
Expansion work, as originally planned, began in 1991. This marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the cathedral. Expansion was to follow the original blueprints created by architect Arthur Dixon. Unfortunately, the blueprints were misplaced. The original blueprints were found in a museum in England allowing work to eventually being completed in 1996.
