Pope Francis arrived in South Korea on Thursday to participate in several activities, including another opportunity to call for peace in the divided Korean peninsula. It becomes the first papal visit to Seoul in 25 years.

Francis attended a private Mass following his arrival Thursday morning, where he was welcome by South Korean President Park Geun-hye and families of the victims of sunken South Korean ferry ship. He is expected to meet other government officials in the Blue House, the president's official residence.

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During his five-day visit, Francis is scheduled to participate in the 6th Asian Youth Day on Friday, where he will lead a Mass at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium. Thousands of young Catholics from 23 countries will join the ceremony.

On Saturday, Pope Francis will beatify 124 Catholic martyrs who were tortured and persecuted in the 18th and 19th centuries for refusing to denounce their faith. Records showed that at least 10,000 documented Korean Catholics died in the government persecution during that time, in their attempt to get rid of Catholicism.

Francis will meet Asian priests and bishops in Seoul on Sunday, likely to discuss the state of Catholicism in South Korea where only about 10 percent of the population is Catholic. He will also join the closing ceremony of the Asian Youth Day that day.

The last mass Pope Francis will preside over is for peace and reconciliation of the Korean peninsula which remains deeply divided by culture, views, and politics.

It will be held at Myeong-dong Cathedral, the oldest Cathedral in Seoul, where he is also expected to hold a short farewell cerenomy before flying back to Rome.

Just an hour before Francis' arrival, the reclusive North fired three short-range projectiles from Wonsan on the North's east coast, the Associated Press, quoting a ministry official, reported.

Pyongyang had been invited to send delegates in Seoul for the Pope's visit but declined to participate. No statement was issued.

North Korea has been test-firing short-range missiles in the Korean coast this year, especially during the visits of other foreign dignitaries, including U.S. President Obama, and Chinese President Xi Jinping this year.

Francis' visit is the first papal visit since Pope John Paul II visited Seoul in 1989. Vatican announced that he will then visit Sri Lanka and the Philippines by January 2015. 

TagsPope Francis, Pope Francis in South Korea