500,000 Expected for World Youth Day with Pope Attendance... Safety Measures Prepared for Heatwave and Crowds

Around 500,000 people from around the world are expected to participate in the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day, which will be attended by Pope Leo XIV.

The organizing committee held a press conference at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul today (the 5th) to announce the preparation status for the event, which is scheduled to run from August 3 to August 8 next year.

World Youth Day is an event where Catholic youths from around the globe gather to interact, and this marks the first time it will be held in a non-Christian nation.

Pope Leo XIV is also scheduled to visit South Korea for the first time since his inauguration on the occasion of this event.

The organizing committee projected that 400,000 overseas pilgrims and 100,000 domestic participants will register, stating that approximately 81,000 people have registered from October 22 until yesterday.

The opening Mass, the Pope welcoming event, and the Stations of the Cross will take place at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, while the vigil and the closing sending-out Mass will be held at Seoul Air Base.

In particular, up to 1 million people, including unregistered participants, are expected to gather for the Pope welcoming event and the final day's sending-out Mass.

As large-scale outdoor events will continue in the mid-summer heat, preparations are necessary for heat-related illnesses caused by the scorching heat and for crowd crush accidents.

The organizing committee announced that it will prepare safety measures, such as setting up shade, water supply, and rest areas at the venue, and deploying emergency medical facilities equipped with cooling systems and professional medical staff.

In addition, they plan to operate a comprehensive response center jointly participated in by firefighters, police, medical institutions, and local governments to respond collectively to on-site situations.

For participants' accommodations, the goal is to secure space to accommodate 500,000 people by utilizing churches, home stays, school gymnasiums, and public facilities.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.