[SPOTLIGHT]26/06/18 S. Korean prez foresees 'message of hope' in 2027 WYD in Seoul

[성기화 요셉]

Pope Leo's presence will be a reminder of 'moral leadership, compassion, and dialogue in a fractured world,' Lee says

South Korean President Lee Jae-Lee meets Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican City on June 15. (Photo: Vatican News)

By UCA News reporter

Published: June 18, 2026 11:33 AM GMT

Updated: June 18, 2026 11:43 AM GMT

South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung has termed the upcoming 2027 Catholic World Youth Day (WYD) in the national capital, Seoul, a message of hope for a world marked by tensions and uncertainty.

“The theme chosen for World Youth Day Seoul 2027 speaks powerfully to our time,” Lee said in an exclusive statement released to Fides, the Vatican’s missionary news agency.

“At a moment when conflict and division continue to test the foundations of peace and coexistence, it [WYD] reminds us that hope is stronger than fear,” Lee emphasized.

Earlier on June 15, Lee had met Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.

Pope Leo XIV is slated to attend the 2027 event in Seoul, which has been slated to run from Aug. 3 to 8, 2027, with hundreds of thousands of youths from across the globe expected to attend.

The pope’s presence in Seoul “will remind us that moral leadership, compassion, and dialogue remain indispensable in a fractured world,” Lee said.

He pointed out that the youth of today face extraordinary challenges while also exposing themselves to extraordinary possibilities.

“Their generation will help shape how humanity responds to division, inequality, technological transformation, and the urgent task of building a more peaceful future,” Myund said.

He also highlighted the WYD event as an opportunity for encounter among people and cultures while reaffirming his country's commitment to welcoming pilgrims from every continent.

Pope John Paul II introduced WYD in 1985. The triennial global event features prayer, pilgrimage, sharing, music, and dance, with an aim to bring together young people to deepen their faith, experience the universality of the Church, and foster peace and understanding.

He also expressed hope that the WYD event will “become a place where young people deepen their faith, build lasting friendships, and discover anew the value of solidarity across borders and cultures.”

Lee also added that the WYD held in Seoul is not political.

He expressed hope that the event would enable the youth to carry the spirit of hope, solidarity, and dialogue to their homes and countries.

“If they do, World Youth Day will leave a legacy far beyond Korea — a legacy of courage, friendship, and peace for generations to come,” Lee emphasized.

The WYD-related activities, such as pilgrimage to the borders, prayer events, and more, have emphasized a call for peace between North and South Korea, who have remained in a state of hostility since the 1950s.

Japan’s colonization of Korea (1905-1945) ended with Japan’s defeat by Allied Forces in World War II. However, disagreements between the US and the Soviet Union led to the division of Korea into South and North.

The invasion of the Soviet-backed North Korean communist forces into the South sparked the Korean War on June 25, 1950, which ended after an armistice, not a peace treaty, signed on July 27, 1953.