President Lee Meets Pope Leo XIV, Extends Invitation for Visit Next Year

[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican to discuss issues concerning the Korean Peninsula and world peace. He officially invited the Pope to the World Youth Day, a Catholic event to be held in Seoul next year.

Kang Cheongwan reports from Rome.

[Reporter]

President Lee Jae-myung, upon arriving at the Vatican, was greeted by the Swiss Guard and Archbishop Lajic of the Holy See.

During a private meeting that lasted about 30 minutes, President Lee expressed his gratitude for the contribution of the Korean Catholic Church to the nation's democratization process and explained the South Korean government's vision for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The Blue House stated that the Pope expressed his agreement, emphasizing that the two Koreas must continue on the path of dialogue despite the difficult circumstances.

[Wi Sung-lac / Director of the National Security Office: We have reaffirmed the Holy See's unwavering support and interest in peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula.]

President Lee officially invited the Pope to the World Youth Day, a Catholic event scheduled to take place in Seoul next year.

It is reported that discussions also took place regarding the possibility of the Pope visiting North Korea on the occasion of his visit to South Korea next year.

At a luncheon with Korean residents, the final event of his visit to Italy, President Lee encouraged the expatriates and promised to swiftly resolve issues regarding overseas voting, such as complex pre-registration procedures.

[President Lee Jae-myung: I believe it is a truly serious problem that our citizens, who are the sovereign power of the Republic of Korea, are unable to exercise their right to vote due to administrative issues.]

President Lee Jae-myung will depart today (June 16) for Evian, France, where the G7 summit is being held.

Attention is focused on whether a bilateral summit with U.S. President Trump will be arranged at the G7.

(Video coverage: Jung Sang-bo, Video editing: Nam Il)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.