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South Korea's Moon delivers invitation from North Korea for pope to visit
Thomson Reuters
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - South Korean President Moon Jae-in met Pope Francis on Thursday and the president's office said he had relayed an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the pope to visit.
Moon, who is Catholic, relayed the invitation verbally, Yonhap news agency reported in Seoul, citing Moon's office.
Moon's top press secretary, Yoon Young-chan, quoted the pope as saying he would "unconditionally give an answer if an (official) invitation arrives and I can go," according to Yonhap.
The president asked the pope if he may tell the North Korean leader to send an official delegate to invite the pope. The pope said the verbal invitation relayed by President Moon should be sufficient but that an official invitation would also be good, according to Yoon.
According to a Vatican pool reporter, Moon told the pope during a picture taking session: "You are not only the leader of the Roman Catholic Church but a maestro of humanity."
The Vatican was later issuing its own statement on the meeting, which lasted 35 minutes.
(Reporting by Philip Pullella at the Vatican and Josh Smith in Seoul; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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