Seoul Korea Temple

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Seoul Korea Temple

Number	37	edit data
Announcement	1981-04-01
Groundbreaking	1983-05-09 by Marvin J. Ashton
Open House	26 November - 7 December 1985
Dedication	1985-12-14 by Gordon B. Hinckley
Location	500-23 Changcheon-dong Seodaemun-gu Seoul South Korea
Phone number	(82) 2-334-9100
Site	1 acre (0.4 hectares)
Total floor area	28,057 sq ft (2,607 m²)
Exterior finish	Granite exterior
Temple design	Modern adaptation of six-spire design
Ordinance rooms	4
Sealing rooms	3
Clothing rental	Yes
Cafeteria	Limited services
Visitors' center	No
Preceded by	Johannesburg South Africa Temple
Followed by	Lima Peru Temple
Official website • News & Images

The Seoul Korea Temple is the 37th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is located in Seoul, South Korea.

The first member of the Mormon Church in South Korea was baptized in 1951. At that time Korea was in the midst of a war against Communist armies, with the UN intervening. Mormon servicemen from the United States were the first to bring Mormonism to the area.

The first Mormon missionaries arrived in South Korea in 1954. Some years later Boyd K. Packer, an apostle of the Church, was assigned to travel to South Korea and find a place in which to build an LDS Temple. After considering several locations, Packer eventually chose the property which the Church had purchased almost two decades earlier. In 1981 the announcement was made for a temple in Seoul.

Apostle Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Seoul Korea Temple on December 14, 1985. The temple walls feature Korean granite with six white spires. A traditional, tiled "hundred-year roof" gives the temple a uniquely Korean appearance. Inside, the temple is decorated with delicate brush paintings, intricate wooden molding, silk wall coverings, gold leaf, dome chandeliers, and white lacquer furniture inlaid with mother of pearl.

After the temple was dedicated, a subway system was built in conjunction with the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. The system included a line that ended right at the base of the hill upon which the temple was built, making the temple even more accessible for Mormon Church members.

The Seoul Korea Temple has a total of 28,057 square feet, four ordinance rooms, and three sealing rooms.