South Korean lawmakers have formed a cross-party parliamentary body to support preparations for World Youth Day (WYD) Seoul 2027, signaling formal state backing for the global Catholic gathering.
The WYD Seoul 2027 Local Organizing Committee (LOC) on March 17 inaugurated the National Assembly Support Committee at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Yeouido, establishing a legislative and administrative framework to assist in organizing the event.
Fifty-seven Catholic members of the National Assembly were appointed to the committee, marking the start of coordinated parliamentary involvement in WYD Seoul 2027, scheduled for Aug. 3 to 8.
The initiative brings together the Church, lawmakers, and government agencies as South Korea prepares to host a major international event expected to draw participants from around 170 countries and more than one million people for its final celebrations.
Bishop Paul Kyung-sang Lee, general coordinator of the WYD Seoul 2027 LOC, said the gathering “will be the first World Youth Day to be held in a non-Christian country and in a divided nation,” adding that it “carries profound significance” as “a powerful witness to peace on the Korean Peninsula and to the common good of the human family.”
He said the bipartisan commitment of the National Assembly would make the event “all the more meaningful and luminous.”
Rep. Cho Jung-sik, co-chair of the committee, said the National Assembly would act as a bridge for cooperation among government agencies, local authorities, and educational institutions, describing World Youth Day as both a national and global event.
Co-chair Rep. Na Kyung-won said lawmakers would support preparations through institutional measures, including visa and immigration arrangements.
Rep. Han Jeoung-ae, the committee’s executive chair, said the gathering would give young people an opportunity to build solidarity across borders and religions and pledged active parliamentary support to help ensure a successful international event.
During the ceremony, organizers presented letters of appointment to committee leaders and principal members. The committee will coordinate support across 13 standing committees of the National Assembly, reflecting the scale of legislative involvement.
Fr. Joseph Young-je Lee, head of planning for the WYD Seoul 2027 LOC, briefed participants on the event’s vision and outlined areas requiring cooperation from the government and the National Assembly.
World Youth Day Seoul 2027 is expected to coincide with a papal visit and is likely to become one of the largest global Catholic gatherings in Asia, placing South Korea at the center of international Church and youth engagement.
