Unification Minister Hopes Pope's Visit Revives Inter-Korean Exchanges

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Wednesday voiced hope that Pope Leo XIV's visit to South Korea next year could help revive exchanges between South and North Korea.

"We hope the pope's visit to Korea will serve as a bridge between the two Koreas, whose communication has been completely cut off over the past seven or eight years," Chung told Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, the Vatican's secretary of state for the clergy, during a meeting in Seoul. The cardinal is currently in South Korea on his summer vacation.

Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit the country next year for World Youth Day (WYD), a major Catholic youth gathering held usually every few years. The next event is slated for Aug. 3-8.

The 2027 event will mark the first time the global event is held in South Korea and only the second time it has been hosted in Asia, following the 1995 gathering in Manila, the Philippines.

"Setting politics aside, I hope North Korean youth could also be able to join the event where young people from around the world come together," Chung said, adding that he would work hard to rebuild trust between the two Koreas and help ensure the event is a success.

The Vatican is expected to play a role in facilitating such efforts, the cardinal said, adding there is no doubt it will continue to work toward that goal.

President Lee Jae Myung met the pope at the Vatican last month, where they discussed the possibility of a papal visit to North Korea. According to WYD organizers, the pope has expressed interest in meeting with North Korean young people during the event.