World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul will be organized as an eco-friendly event, Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul said as the archdiocese strengthened cooperation with the South Korean government on climate action.
Archbishop Chung and Kim Sung-hwan, minister of Climate, Energy, and Environment, signed a memorandum of understanding on September 8 to promote the “Green Great Transition and Expanding Climate Action Practice.”
Under the agreement, the Archdiocese of Seoul will support climate action campaigns, including waste recycling and the use and sale of eco-friendly products. The archdiocese also plans to install solar panels at church facilities, conduct paperless meetings, use LED lighting and adopt high-efficiency heating and cooling systems.
Archbishop Chung said the climate crisis is no longer an issue for the future but a concern affecting the present generation.
“I hope that today’s agreement will serve as an opportunity for the government’s policy efforts and the Church’s faith and communal practices to join forces and spread climate action as a part of our daily culture,” he said.
The archbishop said the environmental commitment would also extend to World Youth Day, which Seoul will host in August 2027.
“We are planning to make the next World Youth Day an eco-friendly event,” he said.
The archdiocese and the ministry also plan to engage young people in discussions about environmental issues and provide education on responses to the climate crisis as part of preparations for the international Catholic gathering.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment will support the archdiocese in implementing the environmental initiatives.
“It is meaningful that the Catholic Church, which cherishes the entire global community more than anyone, and the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment of South Korea can work together on this initiative,” Minister Kim said.
He also expressed hope that the initiative would expand beyond the archdiocese.
“I hope that by joining other dioceses, other religious organizations of Buddhism and Christianity, and many other organizations to take action together, Korea will play an exemplary role in responding to the climate crisis,” he said.
Seoul, the capital of South Korea and one of Asia’s major metropolitan centers, is preparing to welcome young Catholics from around the world for World Youth Day 2027. The environmental partnership places climate action among the practical preparations for the global Catholic youth gathering.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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