Yangcheon-gu signs MOU to support 2027 Seoul World Youth Day

Seoul's Yangcheon-gu district office signed an MOU Wednesday with the 18th Yangcheon District of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul to support the successful hosting of the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day, the district office announced Thursday.

The signing ceremony, held in a fifth-floor meeting room at the district office, was attended by District Mayor Lee Gi-jae, Father Lee Jae-gyeong (baptismal name John the Baptist), organizing committee chairman for World Youth Day's 18th Yangcheon District, and Father Lee Yeong-je (baptismal name Joseph), head of the committee's planning division, along with other officials.

World Youth Day is the Catholic Church's largest international gathering, founded by Pope John Paul II in 1985 as a forum for young people from around the world to share their faith and culture. The main event of the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day is scheduled to run from Aug. 3 to Aug. 8, 2027 — only the second time the event has been held in Asia since the 1995 Manila gathering in the Philippines, a gap of 32 years. At least 700,000 participants are expected to attend, including 400,000 from abroad.

The MOU reflects a shared recognition that systematic community-level preparation and public-private cooperation are essential to hosting a global event of this scale.

Under the agreement, Yangcheon-gu will provide administrative support for the smooth operation of the event, while the 18th Yangcheon District will use local parishes as hubs to accommodate and assist participants and organize cultural events with area residents.

The district office plans to continue working-level consultations to flesh out detailed implementation measures and sustain cooperation toward making World Youth Day a success for the broader community.

"The 2027 Seoul World Youth Day is a meaningful international event that will bring young people from around the world to Seoul to share their faith and culture," District Mayor Lee said. "We will spare no administrative support to ensure that participants can stay safely and comfortably, working in close cooperation with the 18th Yangcheon District."