Becoming a More Open, Missionary Church Matters More Than One-Week WYD Success, Says Communications Officer

World Youth Day Seoul 2027 is being prepared not only as a global gathering of young Catholics but also as an opportunity for the Korean Church to become more open, missionary and attentive to young people.

Stephany Sun, global communications senior manager for the World Youth Day Seoul 2027 Local Organizing Committee, shared this vision exclusively with Radio Veritas Asia on the sidelines of the Second International Preparatory Meeting for WYD Seoul 2027, held in Incheon, a city near Seoul, from September 14 to 17.

The four-day meeting has brought together more than 400 representatives from more than 100 countries, including Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, delegates from bishops’ conferences, Catholic movements and communities, Vatican officials and members of the International Young Advisory Body.

For Sun, the lasting impact of WYD will be more important than the success of the week-long celebration in August 2027.

“I hope this legacy, this experience, would last,” she said.

From preparation to implementation

Sun said preparations for WYD formally entered the implementation phase in March after an earlier period of planning.

The dates, theme, logo and official prayer have been established. Five patron saints were announced in April, the official theme song was released in August, and Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) was named the host broadcaster in June.

The organizers are now focusing on detailed implementation, including transportation, volunteers, safety and the organization of major events.

Technology is also expected to support the experience of pilgrims. Sun said the organizers hoped to use South Korea’s technological capabilities, including digital applications, to help young people navigate the event more easily and independently.

A synodal way of preparing

Sun described WYD as a “festival of encounter” and said its synodal dimension should begin well before young people arrive in Seoul.

“Walking together, you know, synodality means that this encounter begins long before August 2027,” she said.

Young people are already involved in preparations. Sun noted that the five patron saints chosen for WYD Seoul 2027 were not selected solely by the organizing committee. They were chosen following a nationwide survey and consultations with young people, reflecting their voices and spiritual interests in the preparation for the gathering.

Sun said parishes across Seoul were preparing for WYD together with young people, while members of the International Young Advisory Body were taking part in the international preparatory process.

She said she hoped young people’s participation would not end with WYD but would continue in parish life afterward.

The aim, therefore, is not simply to involve young people in organizing a major international event but to give them a continuing voice in the life of the Church.

An open Church in a diverse society

WYD Seoul will take place in a country where Catholics are a minority within a religiously diverse society.

Sun said this presented both a challenge and an opportunity. Many Koreans have never encountered an event like WYD, making it important to explain that it is a Catholic gathering rooted in faith while also being an opportunity for encounter among people of different cultures, religions and ways of life.

The organizers are therefore seeking to build trust with the wider society, including other religious communities, schools, local institutions and government.

Sun said WYD could demonstrate how a Catholic gathering could contribute to dialogue, peace and mutual understanding in a religiously diverse society.

Government and environmental support

The Korean government is supporting preparations in areas beyond the Church’s pastoral responsibilities, including immigration and visas, public safety, transportation and media.

A World Youth Day Support Group has been established in the National Assembly, involving more than 50 lawmakers. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has created a dedicated WYD task force, while the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is supporting promotional activities.

Environmental responsibility is also being incorporated into preparations. Sun mentioned the use of reusable bottles to reduce waste during WYD and a tree-planting initiative being developed with the Laudato Si’ Movement, with activities planned in South Korea and other parts of the world.

A lasting legacy for Korea and Asia

Sun hopes the gathering will also strengthen the relationship between the Korean Church and the wider Church in Asia.

She noted that many Asian Churches live as minorities, an experience that is different from that of countries such as the Philippines, where Catholics form a large majority. WYD could allow young people from around the world to encounter this reality and bring that experience back to their own countries.

For the Korean Church, she hopes the experience will lead to a lasting change in its relationship with young people and with wider society.

Ultimately, Sun hopes WYD will leave the Korean Church “more open, more missionary, and more attentive to young people.”

“I mean, this would be a far more important legacy than the success of just a single week in August 2027,” she said.