Pope Francis open to North Korea visit after being invited by Kim Jong-un

Pope Francis has said indicated that he may visit North Korea during a private audience with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, according to Vatican and South Korean officials.

A verbal invite was relayed from Kim Jong-un by South Korean president Moon Jae-in on Thursday during a visit to Vatican City.

A formal invitation directly from North Korea was expected to follow.

The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said of the likelihood of Francis accepting such an invite: "I would say the availability to go is there."

The gesture was designed to highlight recent peace efforts between the two countries. Kim told Moon of his wish to visit the pope during a meeting last month.

North Korea's constitution guarantees freedom of religion as long as it does not undermine the state.

But beyond a handful of state-controlled places of worship, no open religious activity is allowed.

A trip that would be the first by a pope to officially atheist North Korea would need "serious preparation and consideration", Mr Parolin said.

The South Korean president's private audience with the pope lasted 35 minutes and included an exchange of gifts.

The invitation to a pope is the first by a North Korean leader since Kim's father, Kim Jong-il, invited Pope John Paul in 2000. The trip never happened.

Information about how many Catholics are in North Korea is, of course, scarce. Religious agencies have guessed they number between the few hundreds to about 4,000.

Additional reporting by Associated Press.