The Apostolic Nunciature in Korea has embarked on creating a new residence. According to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, construction officially began on October 15 with a groundbreaking ceremony at the existing embassy site on Jahamun-ro in Jongno-gu, Seoul. They announced this on October 16.
The previous embassy, which was demolished at the end of last month, had served as a hub of exchange between Korea and the Holy See since the two established formal diplomatic relations in 1963. It hosted Pope John Paul II in 1984 and Pope Francis in 2014 during their visits to Korea. The new building, intended to be the “House of the Pope,” is being constructed to embody the spirit of peace, dialogue, and solidarity in preparation for the World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027. The completion target is January 2027. The embassy is planned to be a three-story building with a basement, featuring office spaces, a convent, a chapel, the ambassador’s residence, and guest rooms. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari, the Apostolic Nuncio to Korea, Bishop LEE Yong-Hoon, chair of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, and Cardinal Andrew YEOM Soo-jung, former Archbishop of Seoul.
Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari is delivering a speech at the groundbreaking ceremony held on Jahamun-ro in Seoul on the 15th. Photo provided by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea.