The Solmoe Shrine is Korea’s National Historic Landmark No. 529. Its name ‘Solmoe’ originated from the old Korean words for ‘the pine trees (sol) forming a moe (mountain)’, and it is the birthplace of St. Andrew Kim Daegeon, the first Korean Catholic priest. It is the place where four generations of martyrs lived, including Father Kim Dae-geon's great-grandfather Kim Jin-hu, great-grandfather Kim Jong-han, father Kim Je-jun, and Father Kim Dae-geon. It is also known as 'Korea's Bethlehem.'

Father Kim Dae-geon was born on August 21, 1821, at the site of the current Solmoe Shrine, and received priestly training in Macau from 1836. He was ordained in Shanghai in 1845, entered Joseon, and was martyred by being beheaded with his head hung over a gate, on September 16, 1846. It has become an important cultural site both historically and religiously, not only as Korea's No. 1 Catholic shrine, but as the target of attacks of the Catholic Church after Father Kim Dae-geon was canonized by Pope John Paul II, who visited Korea in May 1984 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Catholic Church in Korea. In 2014, Pope Francis visited the site when it was the venue for the Asian Catholic Youth Day. The remarkable impact of the Pope’s visit remains to this day.

2021 saw the 200th anniversary of the birth of Father Kim Dae-gun. To commemorate this, UNESCO selected him as a World Monument Figure, further enhancing his significance. As such, the Solmoe Shrine receives a lot of Catholic believers and pilgrims, and the pine forest of the Solmoe Shrine, which is home to a colony of pine trees over 200 years old, provides space for contemplation and reflection for anyone, regardless of religion.