Organizing committee of World Youth Day 2027 vows to prioritize safety

SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- With some 500,000 people expected to take part in Worl...

Yonhap NewsLee Minji2026-11-05 15:03查看原文 ↗

Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul (C) and officials pose during a press conference for World Youth Day 2027, held at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul on Nov. 5, 2026. (Yonhap)

This will let Google show Yonhap news articles that match or are related to your search

SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- With some 500,000 people expected to take part in World Youth Day 2027 set to be held in Seoul next year, its organizing committee vowed Thursday to ensure a safety gathering.

The international gathering of Catholic youths is scheduled from Aug. 3-8 next year, with Pope Leo XIV set to visit South Korea for the first time since taking office last year. It will mark the first time the event is taking place in a country where Catholicism is not the dominant religion.

Some 400,000 participants from about 190 countries, joined by 100,000 domestic participants, are expected to register for the pilgrimage, the event's organizing committee said at a press conference.

As of Thursday, nearly 82,000 participants had registered since registration opened in late October.

Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul (C) and officials pose during a press conference for World Youth Day 2027, held at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul on Nov. 5, 2026. (Yonhap)

Some 3,000 journalists, 13,000 Catholic bishops and priests, as well as 20,000 volunteers are also expected to take part.

Most of the event -- including the opening Mass and a welcome event for the pope -- will take place at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul, while an all-night prayer vigil and farewell Mass will be held at Seoul Air Base, south of Seoul.

Given the large number of crowds and the summer heat, organizers said they will strengthen safety measures, including crowd management and sufficient supply of rest areas and water.

Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul speaks at a press conference for World Youth Day 2027, held at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul on Nov. 5, 2026. (Yonhap)

Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul urged Catholic youths to have courage to meet and embrace each other in what he called a fragmented era, noting how young people are constantly pressured to be perfect and prove themselves.

"World Youth Day is a celebration in which the pope invites young people from around the world," Chung said. "As they walk and pray together and listen to each others' stories, they will be able to genuinely meet one another ... as human beings."

At Thursday's press conference, the organizing committee also unveiled the official mascots for the gathering -- "Hobi" and "Cobi" -- and a congratulatory message from actor Kim Tae-hee, an honorary ambassador for the gathering.

Next year's event is estimated to generate an economic output of up to 3.2 trillion won (US$2.4 billion), while creating 11,000 to 16,000 jobs, according to the Korea MICE Association.

mlee@yna.co.kr (END)

Pope invites youth to bring 'questions and wounds' to 2027 World Youth Day in Seoul

S. Korea bets on regional tourism to attract more foreign visitors

Pope invites youth to Seoul for 'pilgrimage of faith, friendship and hope'

Assembly speaker meets Italian parliamentary leaders, Vatican officials to discuss cooperation

Pope shows strong interest in Korean Peninsula peace: cardinal

Organizing committee of World Youth Day 2027 vows to prioritize safety

这将使谷歌能够向您展示与您的搜索匹配或相关的韩联社新闻文章。

首尔，11月5日（韩联社）——预计明年将在首尔举行的2027年世界青年日将有约50万人参加，组委会周四誓言要确保集会安全。

国际天主教青年大会定于明年8月3日至8日举行，教宗良十四世将自去年就任以来首次访问韩国。这将是该活动首次在天主教并非主要宗教的国家举办。

活动组委会在新闻发布会上表示，预计将有来自约 190 个国家的约 40 万名参与者，以及 10 万名国内参与者报名参加此次朝圣活动。

截至周四，自 10 月下旬开放注册以来，已有近 82,000 名参与者注册。