Seoul Korea Temple

The Seoul Korea Temple is the 37th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the 1st temple built in Korea and the 1st temple built on mainland Asia.

The Seoul Korea Temple stands on a hill overlooking the prestigious Ewha Womans University, Yonsei University, and Sogang University to the south, east, and west. To the north is the expressway to the Gimpo International Airport, Korea's second largest airport. Traveling patrons may stay in the dorm space of an auxiliary building. Surrounding the temple are peaceful, handsome gardens that are open for the public to admire.

Temple History[]

The first Korean temple group (six couples) flew to Hawaii on July 31, 1970, after overcoming enormous obstacles including an immigration department policy that did not allow couples to leave the country together except in extremely unusual circumstances—an obstacle that worked against Korean members time and time again.

Plans for the Seoul Korea Temple were announced just before General Conference in 1981. Contributing to the Church's decision to build a temple there was the Korean's exceptional devotion to honoring their ancestors and keeping their records. One beloved Korean member named Kim San shared his own ancestral records that dated back to A.D. 927.

The Seoul Korea Temple was originally planned to be a very simple structure with just two endowment rooms and a sealing room. However, it was enlarged and redesigned three times primarily because the Korean Saints had given up so much of their savings toward building their temple.

A mission office and meetinghouse were razed to make way for the Seoul Korea Temple.

More than 13,000 toured the Seoul Korea Temple during its public open house.

Although a healthy President Ezra Taft Benson was installed as president of the Church just a month before the dedication of the Seoul Korea Temple, he chose to follow through with plans to send President Gordon B. Hinckley to dedicate the edifice.

Just a few years after the dedication of the Seoul Korea Temple, a major subway entrance was added two blocks away from the temple, making travel for members fast and economical.

Temple District[]

The Seoul Korea Temple serves members from 12 stakes and 7 districts headquartered in South Korea and the Russian Far East:

South Korea[]

Russian Far East[]

Irkutsk Russia District
Vladivostok Russia District

Presidents[]

Chiwon Kim 2019–
Hyae-Kee Min 2016–2019
Yong Hwan Lee 2013–2016
Pyung-Jong Song 2010–2013
Jong Chul Jun 2006–2010
Do Whan Lee 2003–2006
Ronald K. Nielsen 2000–2003
In Sang Han 1996–2000
Yeong Cheon Bae 1993–1996
Byung-Kyu Pak 1990–1993
Spencer J. Palmer 1988–1990
Robert H. Slover 1985–1988

References[]