Leo XIV Appoints Politically Left-Wing Bishop to Most Conservative Archdiocese
The image of him disguised in a white T-shirt is from World Youth Day in Lisbon 2023, where Bishop Kim gave official catechesis as the bishops' Youth Pastoral Commission president.
He comes from a Catholic family whose roots in the faith go back to his great-grandfather’s generation.
Ordained a priest in 1996, he served in parish ministry, seminary formation, youth ministry, and Church administration, including as bursar of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea.
Francis appointed him Bishop of Cheongju in 2022.
Francis-Era Priorities
His catechesis and sermons strongly reflect Francis-era pastoral language such as accompaniment, closeness, and ‘walking together’
According to CatholicTimes.org (May 26) the profile of his four years as Cheongju bishop emphasised:
- immigrant welcome,
- ecological conversion and
- Word Youth Day in Seoul 2027.
Zig-Zag: Appointing a Politically Left-Leaning Bishop to a Conservative Stronghold
His next Archdiocese of Daegu is one of the oldest and historically most influential Catholic sees in Korea. It is located in the Yeongnam/Daegu region, which is widely known as South Korea’s major conservative political stronghold.
Newly appointed Bishop Kim appears closely associated with Korea’s progressive activist milieu. The Korean wiki ‘Namu’ states that he is a prominent figure in the priests' association Jeongeuiguhyeon ("Catholic Priests' Association for Justice") that has a strong presence in his diocese of Cheongju.
The Jeongeuiguhyeon is a well-known progressive/left-leaning organization criticizing conservative parties and governments. It has shown partisan support for left-wing political parties - even those that support abortion. There are speculations that this organisation has been infiltrated by pro-North Korean or hard-left forces.
Furthermore, the Association has long been involved in labor movements, environmental campaigns, and anti-war activism.
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