Paju City Proposes Hosting Closing Mass of 2027 Seoul World Youth Day at Imjingak

Visit to Archbishop Jung Soon-taek of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul
Kim Kyung-il: "Will actively cooperate for the successful hosting of the Seoul World Youth Day"

Kim Kyung-il, Mayor of Paju City, met directly with Archbishop Jung Soon-taek of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul on the 19th to secure the closing mass of the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day at Imjingak.

Kim Kyung-il, Mayor of Paju City (right), met with Archbishop Jung Soon-taek of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul on the 19th to attract the closing mass of the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day to Imjingak. Provided by Paju City

According to Paju City on the 20th, during the meeting, the mayor stated, “Paju City is the city that best fits the image of peace emphasized by Pope Francis, and hosting the closing mass at Imjingak will have great significance worldwide,” and actively proposed hosting the closing mass at Imjingak.

Imjingak is not only a symbol of division and unification but has also hosted international events such as peace concerts and the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival. It is equipped with various convenience facilities and a large parking lot. Additionally, with the opening of the Greater Seoul Metropolitan Express Railway (GTX)-A line, accessibility is excellent, allowing travel to Seoul, where the event will be held, in about 22 minutes.

Mayor Kim Kyung-il said, “Hosting the closing mass in Paju City will widely promote Paju’s unique DMZ tourism resources globally and will be a great opportunity to revitalize the local economy and create jobs through induced tourism demand. We will actively cooperate not only to host the closing mass at Imjingak but also for the successful hosting of the Seoul World Youth Day.”

Meanwhile, the 2027 Seoul World Youth Day will be held in Asia for the first time in 32 years since the 1995 Manila event in the Philippines, and it is a meaningful event as the first international event held in a non-Christian country, with about 700,000 participants from 150 countries worldwide.

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