Top Stories 26/07/22 Vatican official hopes North Koreans can join World Youth Day 2027

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Seoul would work to restore trust between the two Koreas before pope arrives, South Korean unification minister says

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young (left) and Vatican Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy Yoo Heung-shik had lunch together at Dalgaebi in Jung-gu on July 22. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Unification)

By UCA News reporter

Published: July 24, 2026 06:32 AM GMT

Updated: July 24, 2026 06:36 AM GMT

A senior Vatican official has expressed hope that young people from North Korea will be able to join World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, as South Korea seeks to use Pope Leo XIV’s expected visit to rebuild trust on the divided peninsula.

Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy, met South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young in Seoul on July 22 during the cardinal’s vacation in his homeland.

Chung said Pope Leo’s visit for the international Catholic youth gathering could become “a bridge” at a time when inter-Korean contacts, dialogue and meetings have been cut off for seven to eight years.

“I hope that North Korean youth will also be able to participate in the gathering where young people from around the world gather,” Chung said, adding that Seoul would work to restore trust between the two Koreas before the pope arrives.

He said the papal visit would be “a great blessing for peace on the Korean Peninsula” and pledged support so the event could proceed successfully in a positive atmosphere.

Cardinal You said the Vatican avoids issuing overtly political messages but continues to make efforts for peace on the peninsula.

He said Vatican diplomats posted in countries that have North Korean embassies could make contacts and play roles suited to their circumstances before the pope’s visit.

The cardinal also said he had told Pope Leo that South Korea’s president, government and people were hoping the Holy See would play a meaningful role. According to You, the pope replied that he hoped he could fulfil such a role.

You also conveyed Pope Leo’s message about his meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at the Vatican last month, saying the pope was grateful for what he described as a comfortable and natural conversation.

Lee visited the Vatican while attending the Group of Seven summit and held a private meeting with Pope Leo. During the visit, Lee invited the pope to South Korea for World Youth Day 2027, and the possibility of a papal visit to North Korea was also reportedly discussed.

Lee's attempts to advance dialogue with Pyongyang have replaced former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol's hardline approach to the North.

Korea was divided into two parts by the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II. North Korean communist forces invaded the South during the Korean War (1950-53), which left some 4 million dead and about 10 million families displaced.

The Korean War ended with an armistice in 1953, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically still at war.

World Youth Day 2027 is scheduled to be held in Seoul from Aug. 3-8. The event, organized by the Catholic Church, is expected to bring together young Catholics from around the world.

South Korea had 6,006,832 Catholics at the end of 2025, according to the newest statisticsfrom the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, a figure that accounts for about 11 percent of the population.

Reliable figures for Catholics in North Korea are unavailable, but the Church is believed to survive only under severe restrictions, and Open Doors estimates the country has about 400,000 Christians overall.

This report is a translated and edited version of an article first published by Asia Today of Korea on July 22, 2026.