Pope Francis visited South Korea this summer and delivered messages of peace and consolation.

The pope visited South Korea between August 14 and 18, marking the first papal visit to South Korea since 1989 when Pope Saint John Paul II came to the country.

The official purpose of the pope’s visit was to beatify 124 Korean Catholic martyrs in Seoul, including Paul Yun Ji-chung, and to officiate a Mass at the Sixth Asian Youth Day.

Through his entire trip, the pope offered a message of peace and consolation to the Korean society, putting the emphasis on caring for the sick and poor.

From his first day in South Korea, Pope Francis met with those who lost their loved ones in the Sewol ferry sinking along with the socially vulnerable, including people with disabilities, North Korean escapees living in South Korea and immigrant workers.

In meeting with President Park Geun-hye, Pope Francis said South Korea’s pursuit of peace will affect not only its immediate region but the world’s overall stability, which he said is exhausted by war.

He also called on the two Koreas to work toward peace and reconciliation through sincere dialogue when he held a Mass for Peace and Reconciliation at Seoul’s Myeongdong Cathedral on his last day in South Korea.

The pope touched the heart of many South Koreans by his modest choice of transportation during his stay, traveling in a compact car manufactured by a South Korean company and taking a train instead of a helicopter.

The South Korean society was deeply moved this year by the pope’s message of love and peace.

1. The Sinking of the Sewol Ferry & Special Sewol Law

2. Dissolution of Unified Progressive Party

3. June 4 Local Elections & July 30 By-elections

4. President Park Geun-hye’s Summit Diplomacy

5. UN General Assembly Passes New Resolution on N. Korea’s Human Rights, UN Security Council Places It on Its Agenda

6. S. Korea Expands “Economic Territory”

7. S. Korea Sees Trade Volume Surpass $1 Tln in Record Time

8. Shooting Rampage at GOP and Military Reform

9. Pope Francis Visits South Korea

10. Sochi Winter Olympics & The Incheon Asian Games