Moon to Push Pope Over N.Korea

President Moon Jae-in in an article for the official Vatican newspaper on Tuesday pledged to turn division and confrontation on the Korean Peninsula into prosperity through peace.

"I hope exchange between the Vatican and North Korea will further increase," he wrote in L'Osservatore Romano. "I hope the Vatican too will pay special attention and support our efforts."

Moon was writing on the eve of his meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Thursday that will also see him deliver an invitation to North Korea from leader Kim Jong-un. His visit comes on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Seoul and the Vatican.

"I and all my people hold dearly the pope's message that 'dialogue is the only solution in every conflict.' [We] will solemnly walk toward democracy, lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and an inclusive nation," he wrote.

"I and [Kim] adopted the historic [joint declaration] in September in Pyongyang," Moon said, adding that the North has not conducted any further nuclear or missile tests, while South Korea and the U.S. have suspended massive joint exercises.