A Catholic pilgrimage walking event
A Catholic pilgrimage walking event

Signing ceremony set for Monday at Mapo-gu Office's policy conference room, as district hopes for successful World Youth Day

Mapo-gu will sign a memorandum of understanding on Monday to support the successful hosting of the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day (WYD). The agreement is with the 2027 World Youth Day Organizing Committee, the Second District of the Archdiocese of Seoul, and local Catholic parishes, and will be signed at 2 p.m.

World Youth Day is a large-scale international event that brings together Catholic young people from around the world to share their faith and culture. Seoul was confirmed as the next host city at the 2023 event in Lisbon, Portugal.

The event will return to Asia for the first time in 32 years since Manila, Philippines, hosted it in 1995. With that in mind, the district plans to broaden communication with the religious community and tighten cooperation through a newly created religious affairs team, launched under the ninth popularly elected local government. The team aims to raise the overall quality of the event.

The signing ceremony will be held in the ninth-floor policy conference room at Mapo-gu Office. It will be attended by Mapo-gu District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun, along with Father Kim Hyun, head of the Archdiocese of Seoul's Second District. Father Jang Won-seok, director of the archdiocese's Department for Youth, will also attend.

Under the agreement, each organization will take on distinct roles to jointly prepare for and run the event.

The district will make active use of local infrastructure to help ensure smooth operations and will provide whatever administrative support is needed.

Mapo-gu is home to religious and cultural assets that represent Korean Catholicism, including the Han River Pilgrimage Trail and the Jeoldusan Martyrs' Shrine. The district also includes Hongdae, a popular destination for young people and foreign visitors. The district plans to offer support on multiple fronts so participants can strengthen their faith while also enjoying Korean culture.

The organizing committee will oversee the event as a whole, setting policy and coordinating the project. The district and parishes will work together to foster harmony with local residents and improve convenience for participants.

"We plan to fully support administrative services so that young people taking part in the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day do not face any inconvenience," Mapo-gu District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun said, adding, "We will do our best to ensure the World Youth Day concludes successfully."

The 2027 Seoul World Youth Day will open with diocesan events from July 29 to Aug. 2, 2027, followed by the main event from Aug. 3-8, 2027.


seouldream01@heraldcorp.com