Young people from South Korea and abroad joined a four-day pilgrimage along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to call for peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula.
The “2025 Wind of Peace: DMZ World Youth Peace Pilgrimage,” held from July 10 to 13, was organized by the Korea Reconciliation Committee of the Archdiocese of Seoul.
It gathered about 40 participants, including youth from previous pilgrimages who helped organize this year’s event.“There can be no world peace without peace on the Korean Peninsula,” the pilgrims declared.
The committee, led by Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung, said the event is part of its Jubilee Year activities. “Young people must be trained to be more active and engaged in the Church,” Archbishop Chung said.
Simon, a task force member originally from North Korea, said the event was a product of “open communication and collaboration” among youth, clergy, and staff.
On the first day, pilgrims visited Odusan Unification Tower and looked across the Imjingang River into North Korea.
“I came here at the recommendation of my Catholic aunt, and I could really feel that North and South Korea are inseparable,” said 19-year-old Oh Hye-in, a non-believer and the youngest participant.
They then walked through the DMZ, passing Fatima Peace Catholic Church and reaching Jangsan Observatory, where they recited the “Prayer for Peace” by St. Francis of Assisi.
In Cheorwon, the group visited the “Ice Cream Plateau,” a Korean War battlefield, before stopping at Open the Moon Café. The café is run by North Korean youth and Gerald Tae-hoon Kim, known as “bachelor mother,” who has cared for them for 20 years.
Participants also visited a crematorium for UN troops and a North Korean military cemetery. “Even though they were enemies, someone took the time to bury and honor the North Korean soldiers,” said Joanna Hwang, a mother of three from the North.
On the third day, the pilgrims walked 10 kilometers in silence from Nanjeong Reservoir to Manghyangdae Observatory on Ganghwa Island, praying the rosary along the way.
“As I looked up at the sky while walking and thought of God who connects us all, I felt that we are one,” said Teresa, a young woman from Vietnam. “I realized that true peace has nothing to do with who you are or where you come from.”
At the final Mass on Sunday, participants prayed for peace on the peninsula and around the world. “This pilgrimage was made possible through the collective efforts of everyone. It is not an event just for show,” said Simon. “I hope the wind of peace blows across the Korean Peninsula and the world.”
The Wind of Peace pilgrimage has been held annually since 2012. It is part of the Archdiocese’s effort to form “apostles of peace” ahead of the 2027 World Youth Day in Seoul.
