Cheongyang Daracgol Julmudeom Holy Site

Julmudeom refers to the unmarked graves of anonymous Catholic martyrs in Darakgol, Cheongyang in Chungcheongnam-do. Darakgol is also the birthplace of St. Choi Gyeong-hwan and Choi Yang-eop (the second Catholic priest in Korea) was also martyred in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do. Because the grave is of more than one individual, it was given the name Julmudeom (group graveyard). Although the exact number of martyrs and their exact cause of death is unknown, they were buried by family resulting in the 37 mounds in three sections. In 1982, Cheongyang Cathedral established monuments to commemorate the unidentified martyrs, and Julmudeom became a well-known site for Catholic pilgrimages. In 1986, the remains of St. Choi Gyeong-hwan Francisco were relocated to the Jeoldusan Martyrs’ Shrine reducing the total number of mounds at Julmudeom to 36.