Korean bishops elect new president, approve guidelines on sexual violence

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea has elected Bishop Augustine Kim Jong-su of Daejeon as its new president and approved guidelines on sexual violence in the Church in the country, CPBC , the South Korean Catholic broadcaster, reported Oct. 22.

Kim, 70, chaired the conference’s special committee on sexual violence in the Church, which drew up the guidelines. At their Oct. 19–21 plenary assembly in Seoul, the bishops also elected Bishop John Baptist Jung Shin-chul of Incheon as vice president and Archbishop Simon Ok Hyun-jin of Gwangju as secretary, each for a three-year term.

The bishops also approved a question-and-answer guide on artificial intelligence and a sign-language Order of Mass. They asked all dioceses to join a year of prayer for peace on the Korean Peninsula from Dec. 8 ahead of World Youth Day Seoul 2027. Asked about potential plans to introduce abortion pills in South Korea, Kim told reporters that people have “no right to lay a hand on life itself,” Yonhap reported .

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