UN’s Ban Ki-moon to visit North Korea

“The Secretary-General has always said that he is ready to play any role in order to help enhance dialogue, stability and peace on the Korean Peninsula”. South Korea’s foreign ministry could not immediately confirm the report.

The former South Korean foreign minister had hoped to travel to the reclusive state in May, before Pyongyang canceled the plan. With a slew of issues expected to be on the table, including human rights and the regime’s nuclear ambitions, the source says Ban won’t return empty-handed.

The Japanese government also said it had received no official warning.

A few North Korea observers have said the announcement could indicate that Pyongyang is preparing to test-fire a missile. The North is banned from tests using any ballistic missile technology under UN Security Council resolutions. Two serving United Nations chiefs have visited the North previously. Both Waldheim and Boutros-Ghali met with North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il-sung during their visits to Pyongyang.

Meanwhile, South Korean officials were “closely watching” to see any signs that may hint at further missile tests by Pyongyang, which has now imposed a no-navigation zone off the North Korean coastal city of Wonsan from November 11 to December 7, Yonhap reported. Those talks led to a 2005 deal that later fell apart. Forging a breakthrough with North Korea would be a signature achievement for Ban, whose second five-year term at the helm of the United Nations finishes at the end of 2016.

The South was apparently not aware of Ban’s planned trip.