The South Korean envoy to the Vatican said recently that Pope John Paul II was confirmed to harbor hopes of visiting North Korea, even before the Vatican forms diplomatic ties with the communist state.
At an interview with Seoul-based Pyonghwa Broadcasting Corp.
(PBC) last Saturday, Ambassador Bae Yang-il said that the Vatican is still pushing ahead with a papal visit to Pyongyang.
Bae said during the radio program interview that the issue was discussed at a recent meeting between Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo and his Vatican counterpart Jean-Louis Tauran.
In March last year, the Pope also expressed his hope of visiting the North when he met with President Kim Dae-jung, who was then on a tour to European countries. At the time, the Pope said his visit to the country would be a "miracle" after President Kim made the proposal.
During the foreign ministers' talks, Tauran was quoted by Bae as saying that the Vatican continues to go ahead with planning for the Pope's Pyongyang visit but that a definite schedule could not be drawn up.
Bae said the Vatican would push for the visit after improving ties with the North through further humanitarian assistance and the dispatch of clergymen.