UN chief Ban mulls visiting North Korea in March

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (photo) is said to be seeking a visit to North Korea in March to discuss promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Ban would be the first U.N. chief to go to the Stalinist country if the trip proceeds. Observers are wondering how his proposed visit will affect the peninsula shortly after the launch of the conservative Park Geun-hye administration in South Korea.

Kang Un-tae, the mayor of South Korea`s sixth-largest city of Gwangju, told The Dong-A Ilbo in an interview, “I heard that Secretary General Ban will visit Pyongyang to discuss the participation of the two Koreas in the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiad as a unified team. He is said to have the conviction that the first participation of both Koreas as one team in the international sports event will contribute to world peace as well as reduce tension on the Korean Peninsula.”

A high-ranking government official in Seoul added, “Though I can’t tell you the specific timing of his visit, Secretary General Ban has been strongly committed to and pushing forward with his plan to visit Pyongyang.”

Kang said, “The U.N. has pledged strong support for Seoul’s plan to form a single team with Pyongyang for the 2015 Universiad. Wilfried Lemke, the U.N. secretary general’s special adviser on sport for development and peace, is planning to visit Pyongyang this month to negotiate with North Korea.”

U.N. Sport for Development and Peace and the Organizing Committee of the Gwangju Summer Universiad signed an agreement on conducting a joint project in July last year.

Ban is expected to discuss a variety of topics with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if the U.N. chief goes to Pyongyang, ranging from forming a unified Korean team to inter-Korean cooperation and promotion of peace on the peninsula.

A diplomatic source in Seoul said, “Ban is highly likely to deliver a message from President-elect Park to North Korea because she will take office on Feb. 25 and Ban will visit Pyongyang the following month.”

lightee@donga.com