A resting place for weary people. That is what Saemoonan Church strives to be. This is more than just a church. It’s a landmark with a story etched in its very walls.
Saemoonan Church stands as the first organized Presbyterian church in South Korea. Horace Grant Underwood founded it in 1887. He was an American missionary. Underwood also established Underwood School, now Kyungsin High School and Middle School. He founded Yonhi College, now Yonsei University, and Severance Hospital. This makes Saemoonan Church the oldest established church in South Korea. People call it the Mother Church of Korean Protestantism.
Figures like Kim Kyu-sik, Ahn Chang-ho, and Choi Hyeon-bae were associated with Saemoonan Church.
Saemoonan Church has a fascinating history. Underwood baptized one person and appointed two elders. This small group of fourteen Koreans formed the church. Over time, Saemoonan Church built six different chapels. The latest chapel was constructed from 2014 to 2019.
Lee Sang-hak became the senior pastor in 2017. Before this, he served as senior pastor at Pohang Cheil Church.
The sixth chapel is an architectural marvel. Lee Eunseok designed the building. Its unconventional design resembles a mother’s arms spread wide. The chapel offers much community space. The design attracted media attention.
During construction, the church modified the initial design significantly. The unique external facade remained from the architect’s original plan. This led to international recognition. Some feel the modified interior spaces do not match the exterior. Some in the architectural community believe the building would have been better if built according to the original plan. Others are relieved that at least part of the original design was retained. This prevented detriment to the cityscape.
Saemoonan Church’s sixth chapel has received multiple accolades. In 2019, it won the Cultural Architecture category of the Architecture Master Prize. In 2020, it was a finalist for the Building of the Year in ArchDaily. It also received the Jury Award in the Religious Architecture and Memorials category of the Architizer A+ Awards in 2020. In 2021, the chapel’s curved surface graced the cover of Phaidon’s published collection, The World’s Best Architecture.
Saemoonan Church experienced controversies. One involved the pastor appointment process. Rev. Lee Sang-hak accepted the call to Saemoonan Church without informing his Pohang Cheil Church congregation. This caused feelings of betrayal and internal conflicts. Rev. Lee said his departure aligned with God’s will. However, many members found it difficult to accept. This highlighted the need for transparent communication between church leaders and congregants.
Another controversy involved Lee Sang-hak’s dissertation. In 2011, he received his doctorate from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. His dissertation focused on Sin and Salvation Based on the Han Experience of Koreans. He argued for shifting the Korean church’s traditional judicial model of salvation to an image of healing. This stirred some controversy. He suggested punitive interpretations of the crucifixion may negatively impact those who have experienced han. He also used the term illegitimate child in reference to Jesus’ birth in one of his sermons. This sparked further controversy when segments were removed and reposted. Saemunan Church requested an investigation from the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary.
The church replaced the conventional spire with a softly curved effect that is open to the sky. Excessive ornaments were converted into simple and abstract expressions. Rather than focusing on the authority of the church, the design metaphorically expresses God’s love and mercy with the curve of the soft front. Instead of a solemn spatial atmosphere with a long corridor, a new periodic worship space was proposed. It features a fan-shaped chapel plane encouraging dynamic participation between believers.
Saemoonan Church embodies loving neighbors through its architecture. The yard of Saemunan-ro is intended as a resting place for citizens. The church is open to neighbors rather than closed off like a monastery. Continuous communication is plotted through the lobby towards the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, illustrating the church’s openness. The small chapel brings back history by downscaling the existing brick church. It will be used as an active open cultural space.
The transparent glass box seems to disappear into the sky beyond the curved wall. It is an architectural strategy to protect future generations from congested streets and become a bright Education Hall with a rooftop garden. The top floor of the Education Hall building and the high altitude space of the Cross Tower can become a memorial space open to every citizen. Seoul’s downtown panorama can be enjoyed to the utmost.