"This will be the second Pope who visits Korea," said Hong of Pope Francis' plans to visit South Korea from Aug. 14-18. "It's very, very exciting."

Pope Francis will beatify 124 Korean martyrs Aug. 16, celebrate the Aug. 17 closing Mass for the sixth Asian Youth Day, and celebrate a Mass for peace and reconciliation Aug. 18 — among other planned activities for the visit. He is expected to meet with families of the victims of April's South Korean ferry disaster, which killed more than 300 people, many of them schoolchildren.

The Pope also will visit a rehabilitation centre for the disabled, meet with the Korean bishops and other religious leaders, and extend a courtesy visit to the president of the Republic of Korea, Park Geun-hye.

Hong, a physician in Bloomfield Hills, said that through the Pope's planned activities, "we see how much he's trying to show his love to the people, to comfort them, to make them feel better."

St. Andrew Kim parishioner John Lee said the visit is "a recognition of Korean Catholic people by the Vatican government."

Lee, a Troy resident, said this visit is especially good for the youth of Korea, who "have so many temptations by the darkness and they never realize it."

Because Pope Francis' visit coincides with the Asian Youth Day event, Lee said he hopes the Pope's visit will encourage the young people to leave the dark and return to the light of faith. The youth day theme is: "Asian Youth! Wake up! The glory of the martyrs shines on you."

Lee, a member of the World Apostolate of Fatima, commonly known as the Blue Army, said Korean Catholics are proud to have such strong Catholic history through the witness of the martyrs, but they must "be changed as real Catholic people."

Additionally, Lee hopes the Pope's visit will encourage the efforts to reunify North and South Korea.

"I am sure Pope Francis will deliver the message of peace to Korea," he said.

Justin Choy, who lives in Saline, said he likes how Pope Francis is a "really down-to-earth kind of guy. He's been showing us his humility, his care for the peace of the world and he always cares about the people that are neglected and isolated."

Choy said a few families of St. Andrew Kim parish are flying to Korea for the visit.

"I personally think the Pope is living the life of Jesus," he said. "I just hope that the people can meet Jesus Christ through him, seeing him visiting Korea and what he's going to be doing in Korea."