Pope Francis's arrival in South Korea on Thursday marks the first papal visit to Asia since 1999. He expressed hope for reconciliation of the divided Korean Peninsula and offered consolation to the families who lost their children in the Sewol ferry disaster in April.

President Park Geun-hye greeted him Thursday morning at a military airport south of Seoul.

Making more explicit the tensions on the peninsula, North Korea fired three short-range rockets of its coast shortly before the pope's arrival. The North fired two more rockets once the pope landed.

The pope's tour in South Korea is seen to represent the Vatican's increasing interest in Asia, where Roman Catholicism still remains a minority religion, but is growing quickly.

During his five-day stay, the pope will be attending Asian Youth Day in the hopes of helping the youth rediscover their faith.

The timing of the pope's trip comes after a tragedy-stricken few months. Not only is the country still grieving the loss of more than 300 high school students in the April 16 sinking of the Sewol, but the country's also reeling after the horrendous death of an army conscript after his fellow soldiers repeatedly beat and tortured him.

After landing at the airport, the pope was driven to the Vatican Embassy in a humble Korean-made Kia Soul, a compact sedan that isn't too flashy or bulletproof.