President Lee: "Requested Pope to Visit North Korea and DMZ; Pope Responded He Would 'Consider and Pursue It'"

By  Park Yerim  | Jun 19, 2026

President Lee: "Requested Pope to Visit North Korea and DMZ; Pope Responded He Would 'Consider and Pursue It'"
▲ President Lee Jae-myung briefs on the results of his G7 and European tour at the Blue House Chunchugwan on the 19th.

President Lee Jae-myung, who visited the Vatican during his ten-day tour of Europe, revealed today (June 19) during a briefing on the results of his trip that he had requested Pope Leo XIV to visit North Korea.

President Lee stated, "I requested the Pope to visit South Korea on the occasion of the World Youth Day to be held in Seoul next year, and asked him to include a visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and, if possible, pursue a visit to North Korea during his trip."

He added, "The Pope also said that he would 'actively consider and pursue it.'"

(Photo: Yonhap News)
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