Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
Bishop Timothy Yu Gyoung-chon dies at 63, remembered for humble service
Bishop Timothy Yu Gyoung-chon / Courtesy of Archdiocese of Seoul
By Baek Byung-yeul
Bishop Timothy Yu Gyoung-chon, who served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Seoul, passed away on Friday at the age of 63.
The Archdiocese of Seoul said that Yu died from an illness at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. He had been battling bile duct cancer, undergoing surgery and chemotherapy last year.
Born in Seoul in 1962, the late bishop graduated from Catholic University of Korea. After completing his military service, he went on to study in Germany at the University of Wurzburg. He was ordained a priest in 1992 by the Archdiocese of Seoul and later earned a doctorate in theology from the Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology in Frankfurt.
In 2013, Pope Francis appointed him as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Seoul, and he was officially consecrated the following February.
The late bishop was known for his modest lifestyle, rarely drawing attention to himself and even driving the same small, old car for decades.
Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul said that the late bishop aspired to be a priest who stood with the humble, and his frugal life and consideration for the socially vulnerable made him a role model for his fellow priests.
"Bishop Yu truly lived a frugal and poor life, and he always made an effort to go directly to those in need and be with them," Archbishop Chung said during a memorial mass held at Myeongdong Cathedral, Friday.
Yu was actively involved in pastoral work, meeting with the socially vulnerable to listen to their stories and offer comfort and support.
During the first anniversary of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, which claimed 159 lives, he urged Korean society to show greater consideration for the victims' families, saying that "proper and sufficient remembrance of the victims must take place for the bereaved families to overcome their pain."
The late bishop was the younger brother of Yu In-chon, former minister of culture, sports and tourism. His funeral mass, presided over by Archbishop Chung, will be held on Monday at 10 a.m. at Myeongdong Cathedral.