UN chief-designate hopes to visit DPRK

UN secretary general-designate Ban Ki-Moon hopes to travel to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and meet its leader Kim Jong-Il once he takes up his duties at the world body, Ban said in an interview published by the Newsweek magazine on Sunday.

"If necessary, I will take my own initiative which will include visiting North Korea and meeting with North Korean leaders," Ban said.

"I think that I would be in a much better position than any other previous secretary-general, as I come from Korea and have experience," said Ban, who is now a South Koran foreign minister.

Ban also called on the DPRK not to conduct further tests in response to sanctions.

"I think North Korea should be more realistic. Considering the economic and political difficulty they are facing, they should have taken a wiser path. Why should they take this dangerous and negative action?" he said.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Saturday on the nuclear test conducted by the DPRK.

The resolution, cosponsored by the United States and eight other nations, condemned the nuclear test proclaimed by the DPRK, demanded that the DPRK eliminate its nuclear weapons and nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and imposed sanctions on the DPRK in spheres related to its nuclear, ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction.

Source: Xinhua