South Korean President's Special Gift To Pope Francis: Cross Of Barbed Wire Demilitarized Zone

JAKARTA - The cross that South Korean President Moon Jae-in gave to Pope Francis is not an ordinary cross. The cross is made of barbed wire taken from the peninsula's demilitarized zone.

This gift has a meaning. Moon Jae-in wants the Pope to visit North Korea as soon as possible.

Moon, who is Catholic, was in Rome for the G20 summit of world leaders. He held private talks with the Pope for about 25 minutes, the Vatican said.

Moon told Pope Francis how important his visit to Pyongyang was. He believes the Pope will be able to help revive the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.

"If you send me an invitation, I will gladly go to your aid, for the sake of peace. Aren't you brethren who speak the same language? I am willing to go," the Pope quoted him as saying.

The Vatican said in a statement that the two sides discussed "the promotion of dialogue and reconciliation between Koreas" and the hope that "joint efforts and goodwill can support peace and development on the Korean peninsula, supported by solidarity and brotherhood".

When he met with the pope in 2018, Moon extended a verbal invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to the pope to visit North Korea.

Vatican officials said at the time that the Pope, who has made many pleas for rapprochement between the two Koreas, would consider such a trip under certain conditions if it could help the cause of peace.

Negotiations between Pyongyang, Washington and Seoul aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear and missile programs have stalled amid efforts by the two Koreas to develop increasingly sophisticated weapons.

North Korea last week confirmed that it had tested a new ballistic missile smaller than a submarine.