Lazarus You Heung-sik to become Korea's 4th Catholic cardinal

Pope Francis, right, with You Heung-sik, left, during the Pope's visit to South Korea in 2014. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Archbishop Lazarus You Heung-sik, 71, was named a cardinal, becoming Korea's fourth.

Pope Francis announced a list of 21 new cardinals from the Vatican on Sunday. You, who became the first Korean to be appointed a prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy last June, became the fourth Korean cardinal after Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk and Andrew Yeom Soo-jung.

You will be elevated in a ceremony at the Vatican on August 27.

You studied theology at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome and was ordained a priest in 1979. He speaks Italian fluently. His network within the Vatican is also substantial.

You served as a professor and president of Daejeon Catholic University, and was ordained a bishop in 2003. Since April 2005, he served as the diocesan bishop of Daejeon, and was appointed prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy last year.

At the time, he commented that the Pope had said that he wished to visit North Korea.

“If North Korea, which is facing economic difficulties due to international isolation, invites the Pope, it will be a golden opportunity for North Korea to overcome difficulties,” You said at the time. “There were views within the Vatican that my appointment to archbishop was with North Korea and China in mind.”

Pope Francis has visited other divided regions of the globe, and the possibility of a visit to North Korea has been frequently raised.

Currently, the only surviving Korean cardinal is Yeom, who retired last November. You currently resides at the Vatican.

BY BAEK SUNG-HO [kjdnational@joongang.co.kr]