United Nations In North Korea: Ban Ki Moon To Visit Country? Official Statement Released!
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon plans to visit North Korea this week, a report that is either denied or confirmed by United Nations.
A United Nations leader's visit to Pyongyang, North Korea, if pursued, will be the first in 20 years. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that a United Nations chief would meet with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The South Korean officials are unaware of the reported visit while the North Korea's media has not released a confirmation as of Monday. This meeting will be Kim Jong-Un's first highest diplomatic involvement since the country's official announcement of him being the leader of North Korea since 2011.
"The Secretary-General has always said that he is ready to play any role in order to help enhance dialogue, stability and peace in the Korean Peninsula," a statement released by U.N. Secretary-General Ban's spokesperson. The spokesperson added that there would be "no further comment" about the leader's trip, according to Fox News.
North Korea faces several hefty sanctions from U.S, U.N and EU for their nuclear and missile tests that were counted as "weapons of mass destruction." This action could also represent the United Nations chief's effort to unite North and South Korea before his term ends in December 2016, according to The Wall Street Journal.
"It is impossible that the U.N Secretary-General will not meet the leader of North Korea, a U.N. member state, as he visits the country," a source said to Yonhap reported by Reuters.
The meeting supposed to happen back in May but North Korea suddenly cancelled the appointment a day before the arrival date, according to BBC. Ban is supposed to visit a factory park in Kaesong city in North Korea before the trip's cancellation and he was not given any explanation by the country's official.
