A 1921 Missionary House in Seoul: How a Canadian Church Gave Its Korean Property Away

• Seodaemun House in Seoul was built in 1921 as a missionary residence
• The United Church of Canada transferred its three Korean properties to the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea in 1974
• The house became a theology school during martial law
• It is now a protected historic site, and the Korean church is considering a headquarters there

The United Church of Canada has looked back on its 1974 decision to transfer, not sell, its Korean properties, including Seodaemun House in Seoul, in an article by Rev Won Hur with Conor Russell published on December 9, 2025.

Seodaemun House was built in 1921 near the Great West Gate in downtown Seoul as a missionary residence and later served as a mission training school and seminary, with living and dining space for about 80 students. Property talks between the United Church and the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK) began in 1971. In 1974 the Canadian church transferred all three of its Korean properties to the PROK rather than selling them.

Under Korean ownership, the house hosted an underground theology school focused on Minjung liberation theology, training human rights activists during martial law. The South Korean government has since designated it a protected historic site, and the PROK is considering a new church headquarters on the property. Rev Dr David Kim-Cragg said the house had once been a symbol of the material division between missionaries and Koreans.

The decision to give rather than sell turned a missionary asset into a base for the local church.

Some Jamaican denominations have historic property links with British and North American mission bodies. The Seodaemun story shows that transferring property to the local church can serve mission better than selling it. Where overseas bodies still hold title to Jamaican church land, both sides should agree on a clear and permanent arrangement for the future.