South Korean National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik met Italian parliamentary leaders and senior Vatican officials during a European tour, his office said Thursday.
In Rome, Cho met Italian Chamber of Deputies President Lorenzo Fontana to discuss expanding public and parliamentary exchanges and boosting economic and industrial cooperation. Cho said ties had grown in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, space and defense after the two countries established a special strategic partnership. He invited Fontana to visit South Korea in 2027, when the country will host World Youth Day.
Cho also met Gian Marco Centinaio, vice president of the Italian Senate, to discuss closer parliamentary and economic ties. He called for the two manufacturing countries to combine their strengths, particularly in semiconductors.
In Vatican City, Cho met Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s secretary of state, and Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik. He said the National Assembly would support World Youth Day 2027 and described the event’s planned setting on the divided Korean Peninsula as a possible opportunity for peace and reconciliation. Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit South Korea next year for the Catholic youth gathering.