First American pope elected

[Anchor]

Leo XIV, an American, has lived as a clergyman serving the poor in Peru for over 20 years.

There are expectations that he will visit Korea when the World Youth Day is held in Seoul two years from now.

Reporter Kim Hyun-soo reports on the path Leo XIV has walked.

[Report]

Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV was born and raised in Chicago, USA in 1955.

He grew his faith by attending church with his father, who was a catechism teacher, and serving as an altar boy during Mass.

He majored in theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, studied canon law in Rome at the age of 27, and was ordained as a priest in 1982, beginning his path as a clergyman.

Leo XIV started his pastoral work in a poor area in northwestern Peru and has been with the poor there for 20 years, even acquiring citizenship.

[Lee Baek-moon/Former Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Holy See: "He has embodied the social and political contradictions of South America, especially the issues of poverty, and has shown great love for those who suffer...."]

In 2023, he was appointed as the head of the Vatican department overseeing bishops, urging them not to remain in their own kingdoms but to participate and take action.

The Korean Catholic community is also weighing the possibility of Leo XIV's visit to Korea in two years.

The previous Pope Francis decided to hold the 'World Youth Day' in Seoul in 2027, and it is customary for the Pope to meet young people from around the world at the host city.

[Jin Seul-ki/Priest of the Archdiocese of Seoul: "If he visits our country, it will be an opportunity to reignite the faith passion of young people, which has somewhat cooled down."]

Additionally, the Korean Catholic community is paying attention to how Leo XIV will continue the mission of peace on the Korean Peninsula and a visit to North Korea, which was emphasized by Pope Francis.

KBS News, Kim Hyun-soo.