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The Korea Times

The blue wedding car, adorned with decorations, rolled to a stop in front of the church.
Dressed in a white gown, IU’s character Yang Geum-myeong beamed as friends cheered her on. Beneath a shower of confetti and balloons soaring into the blue sky, she smiled with joy.
Watching from a distance, her former lover offered a quiet smile, lost in memories of the past.
This touching scene from When Life Gives You Tangerines, a hit Netflix Korean drama series, captured the hearts of viewers.

It was filmed at Gasil Cathedral in Waegwan Town, Chilgok, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea – a church now drawing renewed attention following the drama’s success.
On the afternoon of April 3, Gasil Cathedral – sometimes called Gasil Catholic Church in English – was bustling with visitors eager to enjoy the spring air.
Beneath blooming cherry blossoms, tourists snapped photos of the historic church. Catholic couple Kim Ji-hoon and Lee Seung-eun said they came for a pilgrimage.
“It’s a peaceful place to escape the busy city,” Kim said. “My girlfriend and I visit here often, but knowing it appeared in the drama gives it a whole new charm.”
Gasil Cathedral is the oldest Catholic church in North Gyeongsang province. Founded in 1895 as the 11th parish of the Joseon Diocese, it is the second-oldest cathedral in the broader Daegu region, after Gyesan Cathedral.

The church’s first pastor, French priest Camille Pailhasse, Korean name Ha Gyeong-jo, initially held services in a five-room, tile-roofed house. As the congregation grew, Father Tourneux, also known as Yeo Dong-seon, relocated the church to its current site in 1923.
The new building was designed by Father Victor Louis Poisnel, known as Park Do-haeng, who also designed notable churches like the Myeongdong and Gyesan cathedrals. It is said that he personally inspected the bricks, tapping each one to ensure its quality.
Built in the Neo-Romanesque style, Gasil Cathedral features red bricks and a bell tower. The layout includes a central nave flanked by two side aisles.
Remarkably, the church survived the Korean war intact, even as the Battle of Dabudong and Nakdong River raged nearby, because both South and North Korean forces used it as a field hospital.
Originally known as Naksan Cathedral in 1958, it was renamed Gasil Cathedral in 2005.

The church is recognised as a sacred site by Catholic believers. It stands in the village of Gasil, once a refuge for Catholics fleeing persecution.
The faithful would cross the nearby Hanti Pass to continue practising their religion. Today, the path they once walked is known as The Road to Hanti, a 45.6-kilometre (28-mile) pilgrimage route connecting Gasil Cathedral, the Shinnamugol Holy Site and the Hanti Martyrs’ Shrine on Palgong Mountain.
Opened in 2016, the route is divided into five sections: the Path of Reflection, the Path of Emptiness, the Path of Repentance, the Path of Forgiveness and the Path of Love – earning it the nickname Korea’s Camino de Santiago. The original Camino de Santiago is a network of routes that pilgrims took to see the shrine of James the Great – one of Jesus’ 12 disciples – in northern Spain.
Long known for its peaceful charm and historical significance, Gasil Cathedral is a popular spot for both religious pilgrims and general visitors.
In summer, the vibrant blooms of crape myrtles and Chinese trumpet vines draw large crowds. Photographers and engaged couples also flock to the church, which previously served as a filming location for the 2004 movie Love, So Divine, starring Kwon Sang-woo and Ha Ji-won.

The wedding scene in When Life Gives You Tangerines was filmed outside the cathedral in spring last year.
Now, Chilgok is moving to highlight this connection. Authorities are considering installing a “filming location” marker near the church and planning a photo event for fans.
“Thanks to the drama, Gasil Cathedral’s cultural and historical value is gaining attention,” said Chilgok’s mayor, Kim Jae-wook. “We aim to promote Chilgok’s unique blend of history, culture and faith through events like next month’s Holy Festival and other Catholic heritage programmes.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
Read the original story at The Korea Times.


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The church in Netflix hit When Life Gives You Tangerines draws K-drama fans

A still from the wedding scene in When Life Gives You Tangerines. Photo: Netflix

A view of Gasil Cathedral in Chilgok, South Korea. The historic Korean church is the subject of renewed interest thanks to it appearing in a scene in hit Netflix Korean drama series When Life Gives You Tangerines. Photo: Shutterstock

A still from When Life Gives You Tangerines, with IU as Yang Geum-myeong. Photo: Netflix

A view of Gasil Catholic Church, the oldest Catholic church in North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. Photo: Shutterstock

(From left) Kang You-seok as Yang Eun-myeong, Lee Soo-kyung as Bu Hyeon-suk, IU as Yang Geum-myeong, Moon So-ri as Oh Ae-sun and Park Hae-joon as Yang Gwan-sik in When Life Gives You Tangerines. Photo: Netflix

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IU as Ae-sun’s ambitious daughter Geum-myeong in a still from the hit Korean drama When Life Gives You Tangerines. Photo: Netflix

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Park Bo-gum and IU in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines. Photo: Netflix

IU in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines. Photo: Netflix

IU (centre) in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines.

IU (left) and Moon So-ri in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines.

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Moon So-ri and Park Hae-joon in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines.

Park Hae-joon as devoted husband Yang Gwan-sik in When Life Gives You Tangerines. The actor says the role in the Netflix period Korean drama series led him to reflect on his own family life. Photo: Netflix

Kim Hee-ae and Park in a still from The World of the Married. The actor’s role in the series led to him becoming known in South Korea as the “nation’s adulterer”. Photo: Viu

Park and his wife, Oh Yoo-jin. The K-drama star says filming When Life Gives You Tangerines made him determined to treat her better. Photo: Sohu

Park as devoted husband Gwan-sik with Moon So-ri (left) and IU in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines. Photo: Netflix

Park and IU in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines. Park says he was impressed by the computer-generated graphics used in the K-drama. Photo: Netflix

Park and Moon So-ri in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines. Park praises the show’s writer, Lim Sang-choon, for her “beautiful” script. 

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Park Bo-gum and IU in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines.

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IU in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines.

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Park Bo-gum (left) as Yang Gwan-sik and IU as Oh Ae-sun in a still from When Life Gives You Tangerines, one of eight Korean drama series launching in March 2025 that are worth catching. Photo: Yoo Eun-mi/Netflix

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Gasil Cathedral, a historic Korean church, is the subject of renewed interest thanks to a scene with IU in When Life Gives You Tangerines


Gasil Cathedral, a historic Korean church, is the subject of renewed interest thanks to a scene with IU in When Life Gives You Tangerines.


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The church in Netflix hit When Life Gives You Tangerines draws K-drama fans

Gasil Cathedral, a historic Korean church, is the subject of renewed interest thanks to a scene with IU in When Life Gives You Tangerines

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