Gwanghwamun favored to become venue of ceremony for martyrs to be held by Pope Francis

Gwanghwamun in central Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is most favored to become the venue of a beatification ceremony for 124 Korean martyrs Pope Francis will hold during his visit to the country in mid-August, a top police officer said Monday.

Kang Shin-myung, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said: “I know that (those involved in the matter) have neared an agreement that the event will be held in Gwanghwamun.”

“We are preparing tight security measures as the venue of a Catholic ceremony for martyrs is located in the heart of Seoul, which is packed with high-rise office buildings,” Kang said in a meeting with reporters.

For instance, metal detectors will be installed in and around Gwanghwamun, police officers said.

The Catholic ceremony, which is scheduled for Aug. 16, is expected to draw large crowds. Officers say Gwanghwamun and nearby areas will be packed with more than 350,000 people when the ceremony takes place.

During his visit from Aug. 14-18, Pope Francis also plans to attend a meeting of Asian Catholic youths in Daejeon and nearby South Chungcheong areas.

Pope Francis would be the second pontiff to visit South Korea. The late Pope John Paul II traveled to the country twice – one in 1984 and the other in 1989.

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com