Isomorphic Heterotopias of Martyrdom Spaces and the Overlapping of Memory: A Comparative Study of the Jeoldusan Martyrdom Site and Yanghwajin Cemetery in Seoul

This study examines two proximate yet theologically and spatially disparate religious spaces in Seoul: the Jeoldusan Martyrs’ Shrine (Korean: 절두산 순교 성지; hereafter “Jeoldusan Martyrs’ Shrine”) and the Yanghwajin Protestant Cemetery (Korean: 양화진 묘원; hereafter “Yanghwajin Cemetery”). We propose the concept of isomorphic heterotopias and discuss the logic of intersecting memories. Drawing on Foucault’s concept of heterotopia and cultural memory theory, the study finds that the Jeoldusan Martyrs’ Shrine, through architectural enclosure, the exhibition of relics, and pilgrimage rituals, foregrounds the vertical redemption of martyrs’ flesh and faith, reinforcing ecclesiastical discourse and collective salvation narratives. In contrast, at Yanghwajin Cemetery, through dispersed tombstone layouts, egalitarian epitaph inscriptions, and public commemorative activities, the study finds that the site presents the dialectic of the martyr spirit within a secular spiritual space and individual testimonies. Despite their spatial heterogeneity, their geographic proximity generates a dialogical memory field: the vertical sacrality of the shrine is refracted through the cemetery’s horizontality, while the cemetery’s public spirit resonates with the shrine’s liturgical framework. This dialogical memory field, shaped by shared physical environments and common public narrative platforms—generates a long-term coexistence without convergence, producing a spatial relationship of “non-integrative entanglement” born of antagonism. At the same time, these sites are not isolated spatial fragments; rather, through urban governance, they are woven into the same memory politics network, forming an “isomorphic heterotopia.” Through politically inflected discursive narratives, both sites facilitate multidirectional flows of memory, preserving their respective “canons” while re-contextualizing each other within the same urban memory network. In doing so, they engage in an ongoing process of mutual rereading and co-construction, producing a re-contextualization of spatial memory and shaping a “composite historical sensibility” that, in turn, contributes to the city’s character.