The Vatican named Bishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung the new archbishop of Seoul, sources from South Korean Catholic Church said Thursday.

Yeom replaces outgoing Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, who will retire from the top post of the Seoul Archdiocese next month. Cheong offered his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 ― the year he turned 75. Every Catholic bishop, upon reaching the age of 75, is required to submit their resignation to the Vatican. Cheong’s resignation was not accepted by the Pope at the time, which is not unusual. 

Last year, Cheong lost his right to elect the Pope as he turned 80 in December. The cardinals who elect the Pope is limited to those who haven’t reached the age of 80 on the day the Pope dies or resigns.

Cheong has served as the Archbishop of Seoul since May 1998, succeeding the late Cardinal Stephan Kim Sou-hwan (1922-2009).

On June 25, the Seoul Archdiocese plans to hold an inaugural ceremony for the new archbishop.

Born in 1943 in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Yeom graduated from the Catholic University of Korea in 1970 and was ordained as a Catholic priest in the same year. In 2002, he was named as Auxiliary Bishop of the Seoul Archdiocese.

Yeom currently serves as a board of director at Pyungwha Broadcasting Corporation and president of Babo Nanum Foundation, a nationwide fund-raising organization launched to promote the sharing spirit of the late Cardinal Kim.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)