2nd LD Writethru: Spokeperson has "no further comment" on UN chief's reported visit to Pyongyang

The UN spokesperson said Sunday night that he has "no further comment" on a reported visit by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Ban's spokesperson made the statement in response to a report earlier Sunday by South Korea's Yonhap news agency that the secretary-general is to visit the DPRK this week.

"As for any future plans by the secretary-general to travel to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, we have no further comment at this time," said a statement to the press from the spokesperson.

Shortly after Yonhap released the report, Xinhua called on the UN Spokesperson's Office for confirmation, but the official on duty on Sunday said there was no comment at the moment.

If Ban made the trip, it will be his first visit to the DPRK as the UN chief, and he would be the third UN secretary-general to visit the DPRK after Kurt Waldheim in 1979 and Boutros Boutros-Ghali in 1993.

"The secretary-general has always said that he is ready to play any role in order to help enhance dialogue, stability and peace on the Korean Peninsula," the spokesperson said.

Citing an unidentified high-level UN source, Yonhap said the secretary-general would visit Pyongyang in his official capacity as secretary general later this week. However, the report gave no precise date for the visit.

The secretary-general had been scheduled to visit the DPRK this year, when Pyongyang invited him to tour the Kaesong Industrial Complex which lies just over the inter-Korean border.

Pyongyang withdrew the invitation at the last minute after Ban criticised its recent missile test, reports said.

The Kaesong industrial zone has been seen as the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean economic cooperation. Some 120 South Korean companies employing about 53,000 DPRK workers are operating at the zone. Endi