President Lee Jae-myung said on the 19th, "I asked Pope Leo XIV to visit Korea on the occasion of the 2027 World Youth Day to be held in Seoul next year, and asked that, on the occasion of the visit, a trip to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) be included and, if possible, a visit to North Korea also be pursued."
On the afternoon of the day at Chunchugwan in the Blue House, the president, through a briefing on the results of his European tour including the Group of Seven (G7) summit, stated accordingly, saying, "The pope also said he would actively consider it and try to move it forward."
He added, "I attended a special mass for peace and solidarity held at the Holy See and explained in detail our government's will and plans for peace on the Korean Peninsula," and said, "The spark of hope for peace in the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration is still alive and must continue in the future."
He also conveyed to Pope Leo XIV the point that "there is not a single sitting cardinal in domestic dioceses." Lee said the Holy See also expressed its intention to cooperate for the successful hosting of the "2027 World Youth Day."
The president said, "I also conveyed the wish of Korea's Catholic community to appoint a sitting cardinal in charge of domestic affairs for the 6 million Catholics in the Republic of Korea," and added, "If (the pope) appoints a new cardinal, he said he would give special consideration to Korea's circumstances."