Saenamteo is situated on a stretch of land between the old southern fortress wall of Seoul and the Han River. From the beginning of the Yi Dynasty the site was used as a military training ground and as an execution site for major criminals as well as for those who committed treasonable offences. During the four major persecutions of Catholics in Korea (called the Sinyu, Hihae, Byung-o, Byung-in presecutions) many priests and laymen gave affirmation to their faith by shedding their blood at this site. Among were in 1801 the Chinese priest Myn-Mo Ju, the first Catholic priest in Korean in 1846, father Andreas Tae-Gon Kim, the first native Korean priest. Eleven of those martyred here had been canonized, adding glory and honor to this holy ground. The Catholic Church in Korea desiganted Saenamteo as a “artyrs’Shirine”in 1950 and erected ‘he Monument of the Catholic Martyrs’in 1956, from the next eyar, Clerical Con-gregation of the Blessed Korean Martyrs has maintained the Shrine. In 1981 the Saenameteo Church was established by Archdiocese of seoul and in 1987, Celerical Congregation of the Blessed Korean Martyrs completed the building of the present memorial Church in traditional Korean architectural style. Currently, 9 martyrs who passed away at the site are resting at Saenamteo Church,