First lady holds roundtable in Rome ahead of 2027 Seoul World Youth Day, the second such gathering in Asia

Kim Hye-kyung, first lady and spouse of President Lee Jae Myung, poses for a photo with attendees after a roundtable on the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day at the Korean Pontifical College in Rome on Friday (local time). [Yonhap]
Kim Hye-kyung, first lady and spouse of President Lee Jae Myung, poses for a photo with attendees after a roundtable on the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day at the Korean Pontifical College in Rome on Friday (local time). [Yonhap]

Kim Hye-kyung, who is accompanying President Lee Jae Myung on his European tour, said Friday (local time) she hopes next year's World Youth Day in Seoul will be "a warm occasion where Korea embraces young people from around the world as cherished family and friendly neighbors."

Kim made the remarks at a roundtable at the Korean Pontifical College in Rome, describing the Seoul World Youth Day as "a meaningful festival where young people of different nationalities, languages and cultures speak with one voice about peace and hope."

World Youth Day is a global Catholic youth gathering launched by Pope John Paul II in 1985, bringing together hundreds of thousands of young people to share their faith and cultures.

The 2027 Seoul World Youth Day will be only the second such event held in Asia and the first ever in a non-Catholic-majority country, drawing strong interest from the international community and within the Church.

Kim said she understood why priests were concerned, noting that Korea's image would need to be welcoming when young foreigners arrived in "an unfamiliar land where they don't speak the language."

She pledged to serve as a conduit between organizers and the government. While she does not oversee administrative matters directly, she said she is in a position to pass messages along. "If there are difficulties or areas where you would like government support, please speak frankly and I will make sure your concerns are heard," she said.

Kim Hye-kyung, first lady and spouse of President Lee Jae Myung, speaks at a roundtable on the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day at the Korean Pontifical College in Rome on Friday (local time). [Yonhap]
Kim Hye-kyung, first lady and spouse of President Lee Jae Myung, speaks at a roundtable on the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day at the Korean Pontifical College in Rome on Friday (local time). [Yonhap]

Father Gu Jang-han of the Vatican's Department of State said young people had been eagerly anticipating the event since Seoul was announced as the host city. "We are very proud that World Youth Day will be held in Korea," he said.

Kim said she had first taken an interest in the preparations when priests at a parish she visited during the presidential election campaign shared their sense of responsibility and anxiety over the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day. "I will take to heart the opinions shared with me today and work together to find ways to provide real, practical help," she said.

The roundtable was attended by priests from the Vatican's Department of State, clergy and members of Shalom Community — an international Catholic lay association — officials from the Korean Pontifical College in Rome, and Korean volunteers.


sang@heraldcorp.com