by Pascale Rizk
Rome – “Even though confusion and conflict are widespread throughout the world today, let us approach our brothers and sisters with the compassion and spirit of unity that Jesus Christ taught us, and walk together on the path of dialogue and love.” This was the appeal that Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, addressed to Korean Catholics gathered in the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, in his homily at the Mass celebrated this morning on the occasion of the visit to Italy of Korean President Lee Jae-Myung, scheduled for June 13-15.
At the end of the Mass, President Lee himself, a Protestant Christian, read an intense and evocative speech from the altar of the Papal Basilica.
Drawing inspiration from the words of the prophet Isaiah , the President invited “everyone to pray together that these precious Words may be fulfilled throughout our country,” in a world witnessing “increasingly intense conflicts and profound uncertainty,” and where “the Korean Peninsula is no exception.”
Walking with hope towards World Youth Day in Seoul
With World Youth Day scheduled to take place in Seoul in August 2027, the South Korean President’s visit to Rome also provided an opportunity to highlight the South Korean government’s strong commitment to supporting and promoting this event, which will draw a multitude of young people from every continent to the South Korean capital. “Next year,” the Korean Head of State declared, “Seoul will host World Youth Day.” This will be an important opportunity for young people from all corners of the world to strengthen bonds of friendship and embrace the values of peace and solidarity beyond national, linguistic, and cultural boundaries. “I look forward,” Lee said, “to welcoming young people from around the world to Seoul—those who will cross the boundaries imposed by front lines, barbed wire, and borders.”
The President’s gratitude for the work of the Holy See
Underlining the significance of this day, President Lee recalled the meeting between the two Koreas 26 years ago that resulted in the “June 15 North-South Joint Declaration,” which “opened a new path toward the hope of peace on the Korean Peninsula.” “Families,” the President emphasized, “were reunited. Humanitarian aid was expanded. Exchanges and visits followed.” “Even today,” he added, “the embers of that hope still burn brightly,” reaffirming that “the people of the Republic of Korea have never wavered in their faith in peace and democracy,” despite the breakdown of “channels of dialogue, mistrust, and tensions” that prevail in Korea today, whereas in the past, “the South and the North spoke with one voice.”
The South Korean President defended his policy choices aimed at “easing tensions,” notably by suspending “the distribution of leaflets and loudspeaker broadcasts directed toward the North,” and expressed his gratitude for the work of “the Catholic Church in Korea, which began as a voluntary community of lay faithful and was forged through persecution.” Lee affirmed that the Catholic Church in Korea “has always firmly supported the Korean people, respecting human dignity and promoting peace and solidarity in all the trials our society has faced.” He made sure to express his gratitude to “the Holy See for its unconditional support and constant attention throughout the process.”
A journey of great diplomatic importance
Gathered around Korean priests and bishops, the Korean Catholics gathered in the Papal Basilica also prayed for the gift of peace and harmony before the tomb of Saint Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, who proclaimed Christ to people and nations from different cultures and philosophical traditions.
The Eucharistic celebration brought together hundreds of Koreans from various regions of Italy. Also celebrated with the intention of praying for the gift of peace, the Eucharistic liturgy was enlivened by hymns and musical pieces performed by Korean students from the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music. The Korean ambassador to the Holy See, Hyung-sik Shin, the Korean ambassador to the Italian Republic, Choon-goo Kim, and several diplomats from other countries also attended the Mass.
On his first visit to Europe since his election, President Lee first went to Brussels to participate in the celebrations marking 125 years of diplomatic relations with Belgium and to attend the EU-Republic summit. Korean national relations, during which South Korea and the EU agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, and digital technologies. In Italy, the President of the Asian country was preceded by his wife, Kim Hea Kyung, who had also met in recent days with members of the Korean Catholic community in Rome at the Pontifical Korean College, where they were welcomed by the Rector, Father Jeong Ui Chul Damaso. “For its part, the government of the Republic of Korea will spare no effort to offer you its full support,” the President declared, also expressing his hope that the words of Jesus, “Take heart! I have overcome the world,” could be a source of inspiration for younger generations, as they were for the first disciples.
After his talks with Italian officials, President Lee and his wife spent the morning with the Korean community in Italy. The visit to Pope Leo XIV, scheduled for the morning of Monday, June 15, is President Lee’s last major engagement during his trip to Italy, before he continues his European tour in France for the G7 summit.
In Korea, a “divided nation” since 1945, the demarcation line drawn along the 38th parallel continues to symbolize a fracture that seems to persist despite various attempts—so far unsuccessful—to initiate processes of pacification and reunification. Since 1998, several inter-Korean summits have taken place, followed by further meetings in 2000, 2007, and 2018, the year of the most significant meetings between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
On June 4, 2026, during the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue in Mongolia, South Korean Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young proposed establishing a four-party forum comprising South Korea, North Korea, the United States, and China, with the goal of achieving lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Following the inauguration of 2026 as the Year of Peaceful Coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, Dong-young suggested including Mongolia, Japan, and Russia in subsequent phases of negotiations. On the final day of the APEC summit in November 2025, President Lee pledged to implement effective measures to ensure peace across the entire peninsula, aiming to usher in a “new era” of peaceful coexistence and shared prosperity. Previously, he had promised to restore suspended channels of dialogue and end “hostile and unnecessary acts” in order to end the era of hostilities through “exchange, normalization of relations, and denuclearization.” “We have made it clear that we are not aiming for unification through absorption or unilateral competition between systems. We will continue to work to prevent military incidents, resolve differences, and restore a climate of trust,” the Korean President reaffirmed today in his address to the Korean diaspora in Italy.
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