President Moon Jae-in will send a special envoy to the Vatican for the sake of improving bilateral ties marking the 70th anniversary this year of the dispatch of diplomatic emissaries by the Holy See to Korea.

Pope Francis made a visit to Korea in August 2014, the first for an Asian country. During the visit, Pope Francis gave great inspiration to the Korean people by bringing comfort and hope to the socially vulnerable, including the bereaved families of the Sewol ferry victims, surviving former “comfort women” and the residents of Kkottongnae welfare facilities. Noting that everything can be accomplished through peace, Pope Francis emphasized repeatedly the importance of peaceful resolution of issues related to the Korean Peninsula.

Archbishop Hyginus Kim Hee-joong, the President of the Catholic Bishops` Conference of Korea, will be sent as a special envoy. Representing Catholic churches in Korea, he is maintaining close relations with the Holy See and will make courtesy calls on senior Vatican officials on this occasion.

The decision to send a special envoy to the Holy See follows the recent announcements to dispatch special envoys to the four major countries surrounding the Korean Peninsula as well as the European Union and Germany. It reflects the proactive determination of the new Administration to strengthen cooperation with the Holy See for peace and stability on the Peninsula. The Holy See serves as the nexus for 1.2 billion Catholics around the globe and has over 100 missions abroad.