Gyeonggi Province Launches National First '2027 World Youth Day Support Council'
[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gap-dong] Gyeonggi Province has established a 'World Youth Support Council' for the first time nationally to ensure the successful implementation of the '2027 World Youth Day.'
The province formed the World Youth Support Council with six cities and counties including Suwon City and held its first council meeting on the 20th, sharing preparations for the World Youth Day while discussing support measures in light of the planned stay of numerous foreign youth in the province.
For safe event operations, the North and South Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters and North and South Gyeonggi Police Agency also participated in developing measures to address extreme heat and large-scale crowd concentration.
The 'World Youth Day,' initiated by the Catholic Church in 1986, is held every two to three years, bringing together millions of young Catholics worldwide to reflect on faith and social issues. Pope Francis is expected to visit Korea for the first time in 13 years for the 2027 World Youth Day.
The main event will be held in Seoul in August 2027, with diocesan conferences held in 15 dioceses nationwide. The main event is estimated to draw 400,000 participants, while approximately 1 million people are expected to attend the closing ceremony.
An estimated 50,000 foreign youth, the largest number nationwide, are expected to stay in Gyeonggi Province. The province plans to provide proactive support in cooperation with religious organizations, municipalities, counties, and related agencies.
Going forward, the World Youth Day Support Council will provide Gyeonggi Province-specialized programs that allow young people worldwide to safely experience diverse programs at major attractions in the province and promote Gyeonggi Province's K-culture content globally, encouraging them to revisit the province.
Kim Sang-su, Director of Culture, Sports and Tourism for Gyeonggi Province, stated, "The 2027 World Youth Day is an international event that transcends generations and religions," and added, "Through the World Youth Day Support Council, we will raise awareness of the World Youth Day and, through cooperation with various related agencies, contribute to both the successful hosting of the World Youth Day and the revitalization of Gyeonggi Province tourism."
Meanwhile, according to research data on the '2027 World Youth Day Economic Value Assessment and Project Development Study' conducted by the KDI School of International Policy and released at the World Youth Day launch ceremony, the 2027 World Youth Day is expected to generate production-inducing effects totaling 11.3698 trillion won, value-added inducing effects of 1.5908 trillion won, and employment-inducing effects for a total of 24,725 people.