Pope Francis (L) met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) at the Vatican on Thursday. Photo courtesy of Republic of Korea Blue House

Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Pope Francis responded positively on Thursday to an invitation to visit Pyongyang and meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Francis told visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in he could travel to the isolated state if Kim sent him an official invitation, South Korean news service News 1 reported.


An official invitation from Kim would be met with an unconditional response, the pope said.

Yoon Young-chan, the president's chief press secretary, relayed the pope's conversation with Moon to the South Korean press pool.

Moon has played a mediating role in engagement with the North, and on Thursday he delivered the message from North Korea.

"Last month when I visited Pyongyang I told Chairman Kim your Holiness takes great interest in peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula," the South Korean leader said. "At that very [moment] Chairman Kim said he would warmly welcome your Holiness' visit to Pyongyang."

Moon also said Kim "expressed gratitude" to the pope for his prayers for peace on the peninsula.

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Francis did not say yes to the invitation from Moon, saying instead he will give an answer upon receiving a formal North Korean invitation.

The pope said he strongly supports the South Korean government's efforts to promote peace between the two Koreas.

Francis also told Moon to "not stop and move forward, without fear," South Korean news service Money Today reported.

Moon said the past advice from Francis encouraged him to pursue dialogue with the North.

"At every moment of difficulty in the past year, your Holiness' advice, that only dialogue can resolve all conflicts, was deeply carved in my heart," Moon said.

South Korean President Moon makes state visit to Paris

South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R), with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, acknowledges the crowd as he arrives at City Hall for an official welcome ceremony in Paris on Tuesday. Photo by David Silpa/UPI Attendees await the start of the official welcome ceremony. Photo by David Silpa/UPI Moon speaks during the ceremony as his wife, Kim Jung-sook, looks on. Photo by David Silpa/UPI Hidalgo greets Moon as he arrives at City Hall. Photo by David Silpa/UPI Moon shakes hands with French Secretary of State for People with Disabilities Sophie Cluzel during the ceremony. Photo by David Silpa/UPI French President Emmanuel Macron greets Moon as he arrives at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Monday. Photo by David Silpa/UPI Moon and Macron are scheduled to discuss issues related to North Korea as well as strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries. Photo by David Silpa/UPI Before the meeting, Moon {link:discussed: "http://time.com/5424359/north-korea-economy-moon-jae-in/"} North Korea's economy in relation to U.S. efforts to encourage denuclearization, saying, "North Korea’s economy is in huge difficulty due to international sanctions. If it breaks the agreement, it will not be able to afford the retribution from the U.S. and the international community." Photo by David Silpa/UPI The French and South Korean flags are displayed at Paris City Hall prior to Moon's arrival. Photo by David Silpa/UPI 0 of 0