Jung Dong-young Meets with Cardinal You Heung-sik: "Hoping the Pope's Visit to Korea Will Rekindle Inter-Korean Dialogue"

South Korean Minister of Unification Jeong Dong-young met with Cardinal Yu Hoeng-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy of the Holy See, who is currently visiting Korea, and expressed his hope that next year's possible visit by Pope Leo XIV to Korea would serve as an opportunity to rebuild the bridge of inter-Korean dialogue, which has been severed. In response, Cardinal Yu conveyed that Pope Leo XIV also wishes to play a role in achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean Minister of Unification Jeong Dong-young and Cardinal Yu Hoeng-sik are having a luncheon meeting at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 22nd. Courtesy of the Ministry of Unification

On July 22, at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, Minister Jeong held a luncheon meeting with Cardinal Yu and stated, "The Korean Peninsula has been in a situation where all forms of contact, dialogue, and meetings have been cut off for the past seven to eight years. We hope that the Pope's visit will serve as an opportunity to build that bridge."

Cardinal Yu explained that he has periodically updated the Pope on the situation in Korea, adding, "Not only the Korean government and the President but also all the people are eagerly awaiting and expecting a significant role." Cardinal Yu reported that Pope Leo XIV remarked, "I would also like to have such a role, and it would be a wonderful opportunity if I can."

Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Korea next year in conjunction with the World Youth Day (WYD) to be held in Seoul. This will mark Pope Leo XIV's first visit to Korea and the fourth papal visit to the country. WYD is a large-scale international event where Catholic youth from around the world gather with the Pope; it will be held in Asia for the second time.

Minister Jeong further stated, "Setting aside any political meaning, I hope that when the world's youth gather, youths from the North will also be able to participate. Until the Pope's visit next year, we will do our utmost to restore inter-Korean trust and will help ensure that the World Youth Day is held successfully in a positive atmosphere."

Cardinal Yu explained that the Holy See is also making efforts at the Vatican level to initiate contact with North Korea. He said, "The Pope's schedule and messages are immediately shared with all nunciatures around the world, and in the countries where North Korea has embassies, efforts are being made to make contact in ways suitable to their circumstances." He added, "We see a role for the Pope's visit from August 3 to August 8 next year, and we are working toward that."

During the luncheon, Cardinal Yu shared that he personally proposed holding WYD in Korea to Pope Francis, the previous Pontiff. He explained Korea's status as a divided nation, stating, "The Demilitarized Zone is 155 miles long, and if young people from all over the world were to form a human chain from east to west, keeping peace and reconciliation in their hearts, it would require about 300,000 to 350,000 people. I expressed that it would be deeply meaningful if young people could gather in Korea to realize peace and harmony together."

Meanwhile, Cardinal Yu became the first Korean to be appointed as a prefect of the Holy See in 2021 and is currently in Korea for a summer vacation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.