Invite is part of campaign to soften image from head of rogue state to global leader
The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, has invited Pope Francis to visit his country, according to South Korean officials.
Kim told his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, at a summit last month that he would “ardently welcome the pope if he visits Pyongyang”, according to a spokesman for the presidential Blue House. Moon, who is Catholic, will visit Europe for a nine-day trip beginning on 13 October. He will meet the Pope and intends to relay the invitation.
The desire to welcome the leader of the Catholic church comes as Kim attempts to transform his image from paranoid head of a rogue state to young and dynamic world leader. This week, he held talks with the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, where Pyongyang’s official KCNA news agency said he “explained in detail the proposals for solving the denuclearisation issue”, although no details were provided.
Kim’s push for greater global recognition is also aimed at softening his image and weakening the US-led “maximum pressure” campaign.
