Former Korean Ambassador Reveals The Story Behind Kim Jong-un's Invitation For Pope Francis To North Korea

JAKARTA - Former Korean Ambassador to the Vatican Lee Baek-man claims that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wants Pope Francis to visit his country after the Pope's meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in October 2018.

Cited from Koreatimes, Lee explained several moments that indicated the strong desire of North Korea for Pope Francis to visit there.

In December 2018, a few weeks after Moon's meeting with the Pope in which the invitation to North Korea was mentioned, North Korean official Kim Yong-Nam met representatives of the Roman-based Catholic organization, the Community of Sant'Egidio, which provides humanitarian assistance to North Korea.

The former envoy also said he met North Korean diplomats during a reception at a church in Rome in February 2019, stressing that it is very rare for officials from the North Korean embassy to appear in public at a religious event.

Cheong Wa Dae or the Presidential Office of South Korea said Pope Francis welcomed the possibility of visiting North Korea during an audience with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Apostolic Palace.

"If North Korea invites me, I will definitely respond, and I might be able to go", Pope Francis said according to the presidential office back then.

However, the focus on the visit to North Korea ended after the Hanoi summit between then US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in February 2019 ended without a signed agreement.

Lee claims that there is still hope of reviving the Pope's possible visit to North Korea as a way of reviving President Moon's efforts to achieve peace.

"The Pope's visit to North Korea is not just a religious visit. It will be a breakthrough to open North Korea", he wrote.

Lee also said that the upcoming G20 summit in Rome later this year could include some important discussions on the issue of the Korean Peninsula.

"Pope Francis can meet with two key figures on the Korean Peninsula, President Moon, and US President Joe Biden. The Pope will not miss such a great opportunity. The Pope will consider it a blessing from God and there is a possibility that a good arbitration could be made through dialogue with the two leaders", he said.