UN Chief to visit North Korea "as soon as possible"

PanARMENIAN.Net - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he will try to visit North Korea "at the earliest possible date" in an effort to promote peace on the Korean peninsula, the Associated Press reports.

Ban said the political situation and relations between South Korea and North Korea "had not been conducive" for a visit.

But he said North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong recently visited UN headquarters twice, and that they discussed the role of the secretary-general in promoting peace and reconciliation and in reducing tensions.

Since then, Ban said, "there has been a bit of a positive signal" from North Korea "and we are at the moment coordinating when would be the best time to visit ... but so far nothing has been decided."

The UN on Tuesday, November 24, released the transcript of Ban's remarks late Monday at South Korea's UN Mission after he signed the condolence book for the country's former president Kim Yong-Sam.

The secretary-general stressed Monday that "there are many sensitive issues at play" in arranging a visit to the DPRK, "but I will say that we will make the effort to do so at the earliest possible date."