Papal visit to North Korea still uncertain

Pope Francis stands next to a candle decorated with the faces of Syrian children suffering from war. He was delivering the Angelus noon prayer from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Dec. 2, 2018. AP-Yonhap

By Oh Young-jin

A guessing game is going on about whether Pope Francis will visit North Korea next year.

The latest round has been triggered by reports on the Voice of America (VOA), the U.S. government-funded international radio broadcaster, that the pope will not visit North Korea next year.

Then, Yonhap News, the South Korean government-funded news service, reported that the VOA's report could not be entirely trusted.

"The Vatican is making a hidden effort to create a consensus with North Korea about the Pope's visit next year," Yonhap quoted an unnamed source as saying over telephone. It is not clear whether the source is employed at the Vatican or is a South Korean diplomat there.

Yonhap said that in October, when President Moon Jae-in visited the Vatican, the Pope told him he would unconditionally visit the North, once Pyongyang invited him.

"I don't see it happening in 2019 ― too many other trips on the schedule, or in the plans. And they are all easier than N. Korea," VOA said, quoting an email message sent to its Korean Service.

There are no reports that the Vatican has made any official reference to the reports. Neither has the South Korean government.

Meanwhile, there appears to be a tug of war between South and North Korea regarding Kim Jong-un's promised visit to Seoul. There are some indications that Kim's visit may not occur this year, although there is the chance of a surprise announcement.

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