[The Herald Business = Senior Reporter Park Jong-il] Yangcheon-gu signed a memorandum of understanding with the 18th Yangcheon District of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul on Wednesday afternoon at a meeting room on the fifth floor of the district office, pledging cooperation for the successful hosting of the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day (WYD).
The signing ceremony was attended by Yangcheon-gu District Mayor Lee Gi-jae, Father Lee Jae-gyeong (baptismal name: John the Baptist), organizing committee chairman for WYD's 18th Yangcheon District, and Father Lee Yeong-je (baptismal name: Joseph), head of the committee's planning division, among other officials.
World Youth Day is the largest international Catholic event, founded by Pope John Paul II in 1985 as a gathering where hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world share their faith and culture. The 2027 edition, scheduled for August of that year, will be held in Seoul — only the second time the event has taken place in Asia.
The MOU reflects a shared recognition that systematic community-level preparation and public-private cooperation are essential to the successful hosting of a global event of this scale.
Under the agreement, Yangcheon-gu will actively provide administrative support for the smooth operation of the event, while the 18th Yangcheon District will use local parishes as hubs to accommodate and assist participants and organize cultural events with area residents.
The district office plans to continue working-level consultations to flesh out detailed implementation measures and sustain cooperation to ensure a successful World Youth Day alongside the local community.
"The 2027 Seoul World Youth Day is a meaningful international event that will bring young people from around the world to Seoul to share their faith and culture," District Mayor Lee said. "We will spare no administrative support to ensure that participants can stay safely and comfortably, building on close cooperation with the 18th Yangcheon District."
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