Anchor: Pope Francis will meet Korean believers during his five-day stay beginning Thursday. Known for his commitment to social justice, attention is now being drawn to the message Pope Francis will send out from Korea, a country that remains divided.
Our Kim Soyon has more on the pope's schedule in Korea.

Report: The Joseon dynasty police bureau's state execution sites were located near what is now Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul.
 
Beginning about 200 years ago, many Korean Catholics were persecuted in the area.
 
On Saturday, Pope Francis will beatify 124 Korean Catholic martyrs, including Paul Yun Ji-chung, during a mass at the plaza surrounded by old persecution sites.   
 
Timothy Yu Gyoung-chon, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Seoul, stressed the significance of the event where late Christians will be recognized as "blessed," a stage before sainthood. 
 
[Sound bite: Auxiliary Bishop Timothy Yu Gyoung-chon - Archdiocese of Seoul]
"At that time they were mere criminals, but the ceremony will shed light again on their spirituality."
 
The pope will travel to the venue in an open-topped car from City Hall to greet the faithful in a parade.
 
Protective walls will be set up to enclose the venue stretching about a kilometer and a half from City Hall to Gwanghwamun Plaza. Some 170-thousand Christians will be inside the walls at the event and about 200-thousand spectators are expected to gather outside the protected area.
 
The altar for the beatification Mass will be installed at the northern end of Gwanghwamun Plaza. A statue of Virgin Mary dressed in a traditional Korean hanbok will be placed in front of the altar. 
 
After the Mass, the pope will head to a facility for people with disabilities in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province.
 
On August 15, when Korea's Independence Day and the holy day of the Assumption of Virgin Mary coincide, Pope Francis will officiate a Mass in Daejeon city. After the service, he will meet with families and friends of the victims of the deadly sinking of the Sewol ferry.
 
On his last day, August 18, the pope will hold another Mass at Seoul's Myeongdong Cathedral, attended by elderly victims of Japan's wartime sex slavery. 
 
After giving a message of peace for the Korean Peninsula, the Pope is expected to meet with sex slavery victims attending the service.
 
Before the Mass in Seoul, the pope will also meet with leaders of seven religious groups in Korea.
 
The papal visit is the first to Korea in 25 years since Pope Saint John Paul II last visited in 1989. Koreans hope Pope Francis' visit will go beyond religious boundaries and spur peace and reconciliation in Korea. 
Kim Soyon, KBS World Radio News.