Seoul hosts international preparatory meeting for World Youth Day 2027

Delegates from over 100 countries recently concluded the Second International Preparatory Meeting for World Youth Day (WYD) 2027 in Seoul, South Korea. The four-day event, held from September 14 to 17, was organized by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life in collaboration with the local organizing committee.

More than 400 representatives from approximately 160 dioceses, religious congregations, and ecclesial movements participated. The meeting focused on missionary vision, logistical planning, and exchanging experiences to prepare for the global gathering scheduled for August 3–8, 2027. Archbishop Jeong Sun-taek, president of the Local Organizing Committee, described the meeting as a “new starting point for the worldwide Church to work together.”

The upcoming WYD Seoul will be the second such event held in Asia and the first in a country where Christianity is a minority religion. The official theme for the event is “Be courageous! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Preparations also included a Diocesan Expo to showcase local Korean history and culture to international delegates.