UN Secretary General expresses hope to visit DPRK

SEOUL - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed hope to visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea after the parties concerned agree to his visit, Yonhap News Agency and YTN reported Tuesday.

Ban arrived in South Korea Monday to attend the World Education Forum (WEF) 2015 to be held in the country's port city of Incheon from Tuesday to Friday. The WEF would open later in the day.

The UN chief said at a forum that his visit to the DPRK would come at a time when it benefits all relevant parties and all the parties concerned reach an agreement.

The message he delivers to the DPRK is that the United Nations "is also the UN of North Korea (DPRK)," Ban said, noting that a supporting hand can be offered to the DPRK at any time. He mentioned the UN's arbitration role to build trust, efforts at constitutionalism and human rights, and help in the DPRK's lead to a meaningful reform.

Ban said he cannot help but pay much attention to and focus efforts at the Korean Peninsula issues as the region is more dangerous than any other place in the world. "If North Korea (DPRK)'s current activities continue, the arms race will inevitably happen (in the Northeast Asian region), so more active efforts are required for the denuclearization (of the DPRK)," Ban said.

He stressed the importance of the six-party talks to dismantle the DPRK's nuclear program, involving South Korea, the DPRK, China, the United States, Russia and Japan, asking for the parties to continue their efforts for the resumption of the dialogue.