UN Chief to Visit North Korea Thursday

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon plans to pay a visit to North Korea, meeting the country’s officials just near the demilitarized zone with South Korea on Thursday, Ban's deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.

The Kaesong industrial complex, where the meeting is set to take place, is located on the North Korean territory, to the north of the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, still formally in a state of war. The industrial complex is a special economic zone on the inter-Korean border jointly run by Pyongyang and Seoul.

Speaking at a press briefing, Haq said that Ban would meet North Korean officials, but did not plan any visits outside the stated area.

Ban Ki-moon, currently on a visit to South Korea, said he was prepared to travel to North Korea if this visit may help to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula. He vowed on Tuesday “to do whatever it takes to contribute to improving inter-Korean relations and promoting reconciliation and stability.”

This will be the first visit of a UN chief to the secluded North Korea over the past 20 years.