Pope Francis is considering an unprecedented visit to North Korea, according to a Vatican official.
An invitation from Kim Jong Un was relayed to the Pope by South Korea President Moon Jae-in during a meeting in the Vatican on Thursday.
It would be the first visit by a Pope to the reclusive East Asian state, which is known for severe restrictions on religious practice and does not allow priests to be permanently stationed there.
Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the Pope was considering the visit.
He told reporters: “The Pope expressed his willingness. We have to wait for it [the invitation] to be formalised.”
Mr Parolin said North Korea would have to meet certain conditions ahead of any potential visit by the Pope.
“This will come later,” he added.
“Once we start thinking in earnest about the possibility of making this trip, then we will have to think about conditions in which the trip can take place.
“[The Pope] is willing to make the trip, but a trip of this kind will need serious preparation.”
Beyond a small number of state-controlled places of worship, including a Catholic church in the capital of Pyongyang, no open religious activity is allowed in the North Korea.
Authorities have repeatedly jailed foreign missionaries.
Mr Kim is said to have told Mr Moon, who is Catholic, of his wish to meet the pontiff during a meeting last month.
According to the South Korean president’s office, the Pope expressed his strong support for efforts to bring peace to the Korean peninsula.
He told Mr Moon that he would “definitely answer” an invitation from Mr Kim if it arrives.
The meeting would be the latest major diplomatic encounter for Mr Kim this year.
He held an unprecedented summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, where the leaders promised to work toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and signed a joint statement.
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