Korean Church expands multilingual services ahead of 2027 WYD, helping global pilgrims connect with its martyrs and spiritual heritage.
Newsroom (08/01/2026 Gaudium Press ) As the world’s Catholic youth prepare to converge on South Korea for the 2027 World Youth Day (WYD), the country’s Church is taking ambitious steps to bridge linguistic and cultural divides. Catholic pilgrimage sites across the nation are enhancing accessibility with multilingual resources designed to help visitors from around the world connect deeply with Korea’s spiritual history and its legacy of martyrs.
Father James Won Jong-hyeon, vice chairman of the Seoul Archdiocese’s Committee for the Honoring of Martyrs, described the initiative as central to the Church’s mission of welcome. “The first step in welcoming the pilgrims is to help them complete their pilgrimage in their native language,” he explained. “Thanks to technological advancements, this is no longer a major issue, as long as they pay attention.”
The resolution to expand multilingual offerings was formally adopted in November 2025 during a meeting of the Korean Bishops’ Conference’s Committee for the Honoring of Martyrs and Pilgrimage Pastoral Affairs. Central to the plan is the Church’s broader goal: sharing the universal Christian values embodied by Korea’s martyrs—love, equality, sacrifice, and human rights—that transcend language and nation. These themes will be woven throughout the WYD experience, which Pope Leo XIV is expected to attend.
Expanding Multilingual Access
A prominent part of this effort is the Catholic Seoul Pilgrimage website, which currently provides information in English, Chinese, and Japanese. Plans are underway to add nine additional languages to further reduce barriers for foreign pilgrims.
At the Haemi Martyrs’ International Shrine in the Daejeon Diocese, multilingual access is already a reality. Its Digital History Experience Center features videos and exhibits available in multiple languages, including English and Chinese, bringing the stories of faith and sacrifice to life for international visitors.
These measures appear to be working. In 2025, the number of foreign pilgrims registering in advance to visit holy sites within the Seoul Archdiocese rose by 10 percent—from 347,939 in 2024 to 382,773. Likewise, attendance by foreigners at Masses held at these sites climbed by 11 percent year-on-year to reach 829,842.
Connecting Pilgrims to Martyrs’ Lives
Father Thaddeus Lee Chan-woo, secretary of the CBCK’s Committee for the Exaltation of Martyrs and Pilgrimage Pastoral Committee, underscored the importance of sharing the lives and faith of Korean martyrs in meaningful ways. “Because Korean martyrs are closer in time to European martyrs, many foreign pilgrims are moved by the fact that martyrdom is not a story from a distant country, but a story of people like us,” he said.
This historical proximity, Lee added, creates a profound emotional connection for visitors who see in Korea’s martyrs not distant saints, but contemporaries of faith—ordinary individuals whose courage speaks across geography and generations.
A Global Gathering of Faith
The 2027 World Youth Day, a global Catholic celebration initiated by Pope John Paul II in 1985, will take place in August and is expected to draw around 1 million young people, including roughly 400,000 from overseas. For comparison, the 2023 WYD in Lisbon drew an estimated 354,000 participants from roughly 200 countries, with a closing Mass attended by 1.5 million people presided over by Pope Francis.
With those numbers in mind, the Korean Church’s multilingual initiatives signal more than just logistical preparation—they embody a profound gesture of hospitality. By breaking down barriers of language and culture, the Church aims to ensure that each pilgrim’s journey in 2027 becomes not only an act of faith, but also a shared experience of unity, understanding, and the enduring strength of Christian witness.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News
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