Seoul 2027 Organisers Unveil Official World Youth Day Hymn

Vatican, August 4, 2026: Organisers of World Youth Day (WYD) Seoul 2027 have unveiled the official hymn for the international Catholic youth gathering, marking the one-year countdown to an event expected to draw hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world.

Titled Confidite, Ego Vici Mundum — “Take courage! I have overcome the world” — the hymn takes its inspiration from the theme chosen for WYD 2027 from the Gospel of John (16:33). The gathering will take place in Seoul from August 3 to 8, 2027.

The hymn has been recorded in Korean, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian, reflecting the international character of World Youth Day and its emphasis on communion among young Catholics from different cultures and nations.

It opens with the invitation, “Come follow me, sleeping heart, wake up and walk.” Organisers have released two versions: a classical arrangement featuring choir and orchestra and a contemporary pop remix aimed at younger audiences.

More than a musical accompaniment to the event, the hymn is expected to become part of the spiritual preparation and collective memory of participants, as has been the case with previous World Youth Days.

The composition was selected through an international competition that invited musicians to submit original works inspired by the 2027 WYD theme. The competition attracted 434 entries, including 294 submissions from outside South Korea. The winning composition was subsequently submitted to the Holy See’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life for approval.

Korean musician Francis Jiyoon Kim composed the hymn, incorporating elements of Korean culture and musical tradition. The predominantly Korean-language composition combines traditional Korean instruments with contemporary musical arrangements.

Its accompanying music video highlights Seoul’s landscape and prominent landmarks, offering prospective pilgrims an introduction to the city that will host the next global gathering of Catholic youth.

Preparations for the event will begin before the main celebrations with the traditional “Days in the Dioceses”, scheduled from July 29 to August 2, 2027. Fifteen Korean dioceses will welcome international pilgrims into parishes and family homes, giving them an opportunity to experience the life and faith of the local Church.

Seoul 2027 will be only the second World Youth Day held in Asia after Manila hosted the gathering in 1995. It will also be the first WYD hosted in a country where Catholics constitute a minority. Catholics account for about 12 per cent of South Korea’s population, amid a religiously diverse society.

Registration for pilgrims is expected to open in October 2026, with packages designed according to the length of stay and events selected by participants. Organisers are also developing a mobile application and an integrated logistics system to support pilgrims during the gathering.

Hospitality remains a central element of the preparations. Accommodation will largely be provided by families and parishes in the Archdiocese of Seoul. About 230 parishes are already involved in recruiting and preparing host families, giving international visitors an opportunity to experience ordinary family and parish life in Korea.

Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul, who heads the local organising committee, said preparations were aimed at making the gathering “a celebration of hope” and a demonstration of Korean and Seoul’s hospitality and solidarity.

Preparations have been underway for three years and are now entering their final phase. Organisers expect nearly 30,000 volunteers to contribute to the event, with several hundred already engaged in preparations.

With the unveiling of the hymn, the Seoul WYD preparations have entered a new phase, as young Catholics around the world begin to hear the musical invitation to gather in Korea under the message: “Take courage! I have overcome the world.”

Courtesy: Vatican News