Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Archdiocese of Seoul
Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – According to the Archdiocese of Seoul, a striking symbol will accompany the events of World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, which will focus intensively on the division between North and South Korea: a “Cross of Peace” will be created from discarded barbed wire from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) – the buffer zone along the border between North and South Korea. The “barbed wire Cross,” intended to transform the wounds and pain of division into a symbol of peace, will be approximately five meters high and will be presented to young people who will gather in Seoul from around the world during World Youth Day and blessed by the Pope.
“The initiative aims to invite young people to transform symbols of division into signs of reconciliation, prayer, and hope, also in their personal lives,” according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Seoul, sent to Fides.
On April 12, the World Youth Day Organizing Committee, chaired by Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung of Seoul, held a special blessing ceremony for young Korean volunteers and members of the “Together Walking Foundation”, which initiated the "Barbed Wire Cross" project and organized a traveling exhibition that toured the world in 2021 and was also shown at the Roman Church of St. Ignatius.
The project involves the handcrafted transformation of barbed wire and its weaving into a large cross. The work is expected to continue until April 2027. The workshop is located in the courtyard of Myeongdong Cathedral, the seat of the Archdiocese of Seoul.
Archbishop Chung addressed those present, speaking about the barbed wire along the dividing line between North and South Korea, a painful symbol of the division and the fratricidal war on the Korean Peninsula. “Just as the cross, once an instrument of death, became a symbol of peace and reconciliation, sacrifice and love, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, let us pray that this cross may take root in our hearts as a symbol of reconciliation, peace, and love on the Korean Peninsula. Like resurrection after death, harmony and peace can also arise from conflict and war.”
Archbishop Chung blessed the materials for the cross and prayed that the hands of all involved might become “instruments of peace.” The “Barbed Wire Cross” project takes place every Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. throughout the year in the courtyard of the Catholic Cathedral of Myeongdong. Volunteers use hammers and anvils to shape pieces of barbed wire, about 50 centimeters long, and incorporate them into the cross structure. The craft is accompanied by a spiritual experience: Participants reflect together on personal and societal wounds and pray for peace. The project involves members of parish communities, church groups, young people from the archdiocese, as well as figures from the religious, social, cultural, and political worlds. "The project aims to spread a message of social integration and reconciliation that extends beyond the boundaries of the church community," reads the note sent to Fides. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 15/4/2026)
