Bishop Kim Jong-su of Daejeon elected chair of Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea
In short
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea elected Augustine Kim Jong-su (70), head of the Daejeon diocese, as its new chair at its autumn regular assembly. Bishop Jeong Shin-cheol of Incheon was chosen vice chair. Archbishop Ok Hyeon-jin of Gwangju was also elected to a post; outlets differ on whether it is secretary or vice chair.
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The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea has elected Bishop Augustine Kim Jong-su (김종수), 70, head of the Daejeon diocese, as its new chair. The conference said on the 22nd that the election took place at its autumn regular assembly this year, according to Newsis and Yonhap. Dong-A Ilbo reported that the assembly was held on the 21st. The term is three years. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Bishop John the Baptist Jeong Shin-cheol (정신철), head of the Incheon diocese, was elected vice chair, aged 62 according to Dong-A Ilbo and Newsis. Dong-A Ilbo and Newsis reported that Archbishop Simon Ok Hyeon-jin (옥현진), head of the Gwangju archdiocese, was elected secretary. Yonhap listed Jeong and Ok together as the new vice chairs. Dong-A Ilbo gave Ok's age as 58, while Newsis gave it as 66. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Kim was ordained a priest in 1989 and was installed as head of the Daejeon diocese in 2022, Dong-A Ilbo reported. Yonhap said he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Daejeon in 2009, became acting head of the diocese in 2021 and was named head in February the following year. Newsis said he was born in Daejeon in 1956 and graduated from Seoul National University's Korean history department, then from the theology faculty of the Catholic University of Korea. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Before his election, Kim served as vice chair of the bishops' conference, a director of the Catholic Central Council and chair of the conference's special committee on sexual violence within the church, Dong-A Ilbo reported. Yonhap added that he chaired the evangelization, liturgy and Bible committees and, until recently, the Catholic terminology committee. Newsis said he had been a professor and president of Daejeon Catholic University. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Newsis said Jeong was born in Incheon in 1964, was ordained in 1993 and has been head of the Incheon diocese since 2016. It said Ok was born in Muan, South Jeolla, in 1968, was ordained in 1994 and has been head of the Gwangju archdiocese since 2022. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The vote sets the conference's leadership for a three-year term, according to the reports. The documents give no further detail on policy consequences.
Key facts
- Bishop Augustine Kim Jong-su (김종수), 70, head of the Daejeon diocese, was elected chair of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The election took place at the conference's 2026 autumn regular assembly, held on the 21st according to Dong-A Ilbo. [ 1 ]
- The conference announced the result on the 22nd. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The term is three years. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Bishop John the Baptist Jeong Shin-cheol (정신철), head of the Incheon diocese, was elected vice chair. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Archbishop Ok Hyeon-jin (옥현진) of the Gwangju archdiocese was elected as secretary, according to Dong-A Ilbo and Newsis. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Kim was ordained a priest in 1989 and has headed the Daejeon diocese since 2022. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Kim Jong-su, 70, head of the Daejeon diocese, was elected the new chair of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea at its autumn regular assembly. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Jeong Shin-cheol, head of the Incheon diocese, was elected vice chair. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The leadership term is three years. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Kim was ordained in 1989 and became head of the Daejeon diocese in 2022. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The age of Archbishop Ok Hyeon-jin. Dong-A Ilbo gives 58 and Newsis gives 66.
- Ok Hyeon-jin's post. Dong-A Ilbo and Newsis say secretary, while Yonhap lists him among the new vice chairs.