Ever Pass Through Yongsu-ri Without Stopping? A Joseon-Era Priest Once Washed Ashore Here
quietly carried on as a story
If you drive out toward Hangyeong-myeon on Jeju's west side, you'll pass through a small harbor village called Yongsu-ri. Judging by the name alone, it sounds like just another quiet fishing village, but tucked in one corner of this town stands a place called the St. Kim Dae-geon Memorial. It isn't a widely known tourist spot, so it's easy to drive right past it, but this site quietly carries the story of a man said to be the first to set foot on Joseon soil as an ordained priest. GYULI recently told you about the Hamel Monument at Yongmeori Coast, and as it happens, Jeju holds a few more places tied to people who are said to have unexpectedly washed ashore on this island. Today, GYULI wants to calmly walk you through the story behind this memorial, connected to Kim Dae-geon, said to have been the first Korean Catholic priest.
Who Was Kim Dae-geon, and Why Did His Name Stay in Yongsu-ri?
Kim Dae-geon is said to have been the first Korean Catholic priest. After studying theology abroad for a long time and being ordained, it's said that on his voyage back to Joseon, his ship ran into a fierce storm and was put in serious danger. Exactly what route the ship was sailing, or precisely what the circumstances of the storm were — these are details I'd rather not state definitively here. What is said, though, is that amid this perilous situation, the ship drifted and eventually reached what is now the coast of Yongsu-ri on Jeju. The fact that an unfamiliar priest made it through a rough sea to land in this small harbor village is, in itself, a story that has stayed with this town for a long time.
When someone sets foot on unfamiliar land after being caught in a storm, that landing carries a meaning of its own.
— 🍊 GYULISeveral accounts are also told about how long Kim Dae-geon stayed here after coming ashore, and what route he took afterward to reach the mainland. There's also word about what significance this journey came to hold in the later history of the Joseon Catholic Church, but rather than spelling that out in detail here, I'd rather leave the religious interpretation aside, carefully. More than any single detail like that, I find myself more curious about what he must have felt in that moment — surviving a brush with death at sea and finally reaching this small island village. Imagining what it must have felt like, in a place that was never even his intended destination, to realize he could still set foot on land alive — that's what stays with me.
A Memorial Built at Yongsu Harbor
It's said that the St. Kim Dae-geon Memorial was built to remember this encounter. It stands in a corner of Yongsu-ri, a quiet harbor village in Hangyeong-myeon on Jeju's west side. It isn't a large or elaborate facility, but it's said to be the kind of place that makes visitors pause simply for having a story like this tucked away in such a small town. Nearby, there's also said to be a small chapel and related facilities, making it a place worth taking your time to walk around. Some visit for religious reasons, but it's also said to be a place any traveler curious about the quiet scenery of a Jeju harbor village, and the story held within it, could stop by without much fuss.
Walking around the area, you'll take in the calm waters of Yongsu Harbor, low stone walls, and modest buildings all at once. Without the usual flashy signage or crowds of a typical tourist spot, it actually feels like a place where you can focus fully on a single story. If you picture that moment of drifting through a fierce storm to reach this same quiet harbor, laid over the calm scenery in front of you now, this village might start to feel a little different.
A Story That Outlasts the Exact Details
The story of Kim Dae-geon also happened so long ago that several different records and accounts of the details are told side by side. Rather than pin down the exact moment he came ashore or every detail of that day, I'd rather carefully note it as 'said to be' and 'said to have happened' where needed. More than any precise date or record, what stays with me is the fact that this small harbor, where an unfamiliar priest arrived in a moment of crisis, still quietly carries that story today.
Traveling around Jeju, it's not easy to come across stories like this one. When you plan your trip around the well-known tourist spots, a quiet harbor village like Yongsu-ri is easy to pass right by. If you happen to be nearby, it might be worth stopping for a moment in front of this memorial. Whether or not you hold any particular faith, it can be a quiet moment to think about someone who once landed on unfamiliar shores. GYULI will keep searching out quiet stories like this one, tucked away across Jeju, and bringing them to you one at a time.
GYULI's Tip · The St. Kim Dae-geon Memorial is said to be a small-scale site, so it's worth checking opening hours and access before you visit. Nearby Yongsu Harbor and Suwolbong Peak are both close by, so it may be worth planning them into the same route.