A stone was placed in a ceremonial plaza in downtown Seoul on Sunday to commemorate Pope Francis' visit to South Korea last year.

The floor tile was put at the northern tip of Gwanghwamun Plaza, where the pope led a mass to beatify Korean martyrs a year ago.

The tile, which is 1.7 meters wide and 1 meter long, is inscribed with the words, "We lay this stone to mark Pope Francis' beatification of Paul Yun Ji-chung and his 123 companions in proclamation of this to the entire world on Aug. 16, 2014, here."

A ceremony was led by Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung to unveil the stone with the attendance of Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Jong-deok, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, and other influential figures from politics and the government.

Francis visited South Korea from Aug. 14 through Aug. 18, 2014, for his first trip here, where he also attended a gathering of Asian Catholic youths.

His 100 hours in South Korea left an impression on the Korean people as it was packed with meetings with the country's marginalized.

The stone will become a landmark symbolizing the historical significance of the papal visit and the beatification of the martyrs, the local Catholic Church said.

Various other events, including a photo exhibition and a concert, will be held through the end of the month to celebrate the anniversary, it said. (Yonhap)