The ruling Democratic Party(DP) is pressing the government to send a special envoy to Pyongyang to pay respects to Kim Yong-nam, North Korea’s former ceremonial head of state, who died earlier this week.

DP Senior Supreme Council Member Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui said during a meeting at the National Assembly on Wednesday that the move would not only send condolences but also confirm the United States’ willingness to hold talks with North Korea.
  
Jeon urged the dispatch of a special envoy to help restore peace on the Korean Peninsula. “Peace is the economy,” he said.

Jeon referred to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent claim that he wanted to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as well as the National Intelligence Service’s latest prediction that a Trump-Kim discussion could take place next year.
 
Another supreme council member, Rep. Kim Byung-joo, stressed that South Korea must reopen the door to inter-Korean dialogue independently and move toward peace and cooperation.

He added that paying respects to the late North Korean official could be the beginning of restoring trust between the two Koreas.

DP Rep. Park Jie-won, a veteran diplomat who previously met Kim Yong-nam, stated on the radio program "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" that the National Intelligence Service's director believed him to be the most suitable envoy.

The presidential office has yet to respond to the proposal.