New Auxiliary Bishop Appointed: Meet Fr. Matteo Kwang Hee Choi!

Pope Leo XIV appointed Fr. Matteo Kwang Hee Choi as the new auxiliary bishop of the Seoul archdiocese on Tuesday at noon, according to the Archdiocese of Seoul.

This appointment comes approximately 18 months after Pope Francis named Fr. Paul Kyung Sang Lee as the auxiliary bishop of Seoul in February 2024. The move further strengthens the Archdiocese’s episcopal leadership.

Fr. Choi, born in 1977 in Seoul, completed his theological studies at the Catholic University of Korea in June 2004. He was ordained as a priest the following month. In 2012, he furthered his education by earning a master’s degree in biblical theology from the prestigious Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Upon his return to Korea, Fr. Choi served as the pastoral director for the Catholic Youth Bible Group from 2013 to 2020.

In 2021, Fr. Choi took on the role of deputy director at the St. Enber Center. His responsibilities expanded in 2023 when he became the director of the Cultural and Public Relations Office and secretary of the Public Relations Committee. In these positions, he oversaw crucial organizational and administrative tasks related to the Seoul Archdiocese’s public relations initiatives. Since September 2024, Fr. Choi has also been serving as the official spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Seoul.