President Lee Holds One-on-One Meeting With the Pope, Raising Possibility of a Visit to North Korea

[Financial News, Vatican City State and Seoul = Reporters Choi Jong-geun and Seong Seok-woo] President Lee Jae-myung, who is visiting Vatican City State on an official trip, held a one-on-one meeting with Pope Leo XIV on the 15th (local time). It was the first time Lee had met the pope since taking office. With a papal visit to South Korea already planned for next year's "2027 Seoul World Youth Day," attention is now focused on whether Lee formally asked Pope Leo XIV to visit North Korea.
President Lee and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung entered the papal palace on the morning of the 15th together with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and the South Korean delegation. It was the first meeting between a South Korean head of state and the pope in about five years, since former President Moon Jae-in met the late Pope Francis in October 2021.
During the private meeting, Lee was expected to express his commitment to contributing to global peace and solidarity, while also asking for greater attention to peace on the Korean Peninsula. He may also have requested that Pope Leo XIV play a role in promoting peace on the peninsula by visiting North Korea.
Earlier, in July last year, Lee met Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik at The Blue House and, after hearing that Pope Leo would visit South Korea, said, "I thought it might be a good idea for him to stop by North Korea on the way to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula." Cardinal You is the first Korean to be appointed prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy at the Vatican.
Speaking to reporters in Vatican City State on the 14th, a day before Lee's private audience with the pope, Cardinal You said, "He said that if he is invited, he would go," adding, "It depends on North Korea."
He added, "Because the pope is American, if there is cooperation with American cardinals and their churches, I think he may be able to play some role in opening up relations with North Korea and U.S.-North Korea ties more than in the past." He also said, "I have mentioned it several times, so the pope is well aware of the changes in our country and of the president. He sincerely hopes that Korea, not just the Catholic Church, will become truly peaceful, so it will be a good meeting, and I told him to speak comfortably and naturally."
After the one-on-one meeting with Pope Leo XIV, Lee also met Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See.
The previous day, Lee attended a special Mass for peace and solidarity at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, celebrated by Cardinal You. In his commemorative remarks, Lee said, "We will do everything we can to build a sustainable peace regime beyond the armistice." He added, "I hope we can create a virtuous cycle in which peace on the Korean Peninsula leads to world peace, and global solidarity in turn strengthens peace on the Korean Peninsula."
Lee also stressed, "On June 15, 26 years ago, the South and the North sat down together for the first time since the division and announced the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration. It was a historic turning point that showed the world the possibility of dialogue and cooperation beyond long-standing hostility and tension." He added, "I am still convinced that the spark of hope remains alive."
Lee's message continued on the same day. At a ceremony marking the 26th anniversary of the 2000 inter-Korean summit, held at the Kim Daejung Presidential Library & Museum at Yonsei University in Seoul, Chief of Staff to the President Kang Hoon-sik delivered Lee's commemorative address, in which he said, "The June 15 inter-Korean summit and the joint declaration were the starting point for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula."
He also promised, "We must turn changes in the international situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula into a new opportunity for shared prosperity on the peninsula. Just as the two Koreas did 26 years ago, I will do my utmost so that we can sit down together again and continue dialogue."

cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Seong Seok-woo Reporter