2027 Seoul WYD to Draw Pope and 500,000 Youths; Sangam and Seoul Air Base Set as Main Venues

When the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day takes place in August next year, Pope Leo XIV and 500,000 young people from around the world will gather in Korea.

World Youth Day is a festival where young people from across the globe come together to understand diverse cultures and lives and achieve unity. The Seoul event marks the second time it is being held in Asia and the first time in a non-Christian country.

[Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taek / Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee for the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day: "What we aim to achieve in Seoul in the summer of 2027 is an experience where diverse young people meet, experience God's love, rediscover their true value within that love, open their hearts to one another, and move toward genuine encounters."]

The main events will be held across Seoul from August 3 to 8 next year.

Pope Leo XIV will also visit Korea for the first time since his inauguration during the event period.

The opening Mass and the welcoming ceremony for the Pope will take place at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangam, while the final-day closing Mass will be held at the Seoul Air Base.

The organizing committee expects a total of 500,000 participants, consisting of 400,000 from overseas and 100,000 from domestic sources.

They anticipate 200,000 attendees for the opening Mass and 300,000 for the papal welcoming ceremony. In particular, a total of 1 million people, including general believers, are expected to gather for the closing Mass presided over by the Pope.

Ahead of the main event, a pilgrimage journey for youths called the Diocese Days will take place across 15 dioceses nationwide from July 29 to August 2 next year.

The organizing committee stated that because this is a large-scale international event taking place during a period of intense heat, safety will be treated as the top priority and preparations will be made with utmost diligence.

It also stated that an inter-ministerial cooperation system is being established to prepare for accommodation and transportation measures.

The goal is to secure communal accommodation facilities for the 500,000 participants by utilizing churches, homestays, and gymnasiums and auditoriums in public facilities.

In addition, the committee announced plans to minimize traffic controls and link with restaurants and convenience stores near the event venues to provide meal options, thereby connecting the event to the revitalization of the local economy.

Regarding the possibility of the Pope visiting North Korea, which has drawn significant attention, the organizing committee drew a line, stating that while they earnestly hope for it, the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the government and the Vatican.

(Reported by Kim Gyeong-hui | VJ: Oh Se-gwan | Video Editing: Park Na-young | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.