Presidential Office Dispatches Chief Special Envoy Kang Seung-gyu for 60th Anniversary of Korea-Holy See Diplomatic Relations

Attended Commemorative Mass for Installation of Father Kim Dae-geon Statue and Performed Duties

President Yoon Suk-yeol announced on the 13th that he will dispatch Kang Seung-gyu, Senior Secretary for Civil Society, as a special envoy to the Holy See to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and the Holy See.

The Holy See was the first to send a diplomatic envoy to the Republic of Korea after liberation and contributed to the Korean government being recognized as a legitimate government at the 1948 United Nations General Assembly.

Kang Seung-gyu, Senior Secretary for Civil Society at the Presidential Office
[Photo by Yonhap News]

President Yoon plans to express his gratitude to the Holy See for this. Special Envoy Kang will also convey respect and thanks for the special interest and affection shown to South Korea, including the installation of the statue of Father Kim Dae-geon at St. Peter's Basilica, and express hopes for further strengthening of friendly and cooperative relations with the Holy See in the future.

During his visit to the Holy See, Special Envoy Kang will also carry out a schedule to expand the cooperation base with the Holy See, including a meeting with Archbishop Yu Hyung-sik, Prefect of the Holy See's Clergy Department, and attending the commemorative Mass and blessing ceremony for the installation of Father Kim Dae-geon's statue.

According to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, the commemorative Mass and blessing ceremony for the installation of the statue of Saint Kim Dae-geon will be held at 3 p.m. local time on the 16th at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

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