The government has dismissed as untrue a report that it plans to invite North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) scheduled to open in the port city of Busan in November.

Presidential spokesman Kim Jong-min said in a news briefing Sunday that there is no truth to the report by the Internet-based news organization, Ohmynews.com.

Quoting an anonymous government official, the online news agency said that Seoul is seeking Kim's participation at the upcoming economic meeting which is set to bring together the heads of 21 Asia-Pacific economies. The participating nations of the six-way nuclear talks are among the countries that will attend the economic conference.