South Korean President Lee Jae Myung Invites Pope Leo XIV to World Youth Day 2027

President Lee Jae Myung met Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City and formally invited the pontiff to South Korea for World Youth Day 2027. The two leaders also discussed the prospect of a papal visit to North Korea, with the Vatican stressing that such a trip “depends on North Korea” and that the Pope is willing to “play a role for peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung‑sik, the first Korean prefect of the Roman Curia, highlighted the Holy See’s continued support for inter‑Korean dialogue. Lee presented the Pope with symbolic gifts and reiterated South Korea’s commitment to easing tensions, noting recent steps such as ending propaganda balloon launches. The meeting underscores South Korea’s diplomatic outreach to the Vatican as part of broader peace‑building efforts on the peninsula.