By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday he will help better the relations between South and North Korea if the Seoul government requires him to play a certain role.
In a breakfast meeting with Unification Minister Kim Ha-joong at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, Ban also expressed hope that he will have an opportunity to exchange opinions with the Seoul government regarding inter-Korean relations.
``I believe that it is desirable for the Korea's themselves to solve inter-Korean, so I intend to be a facilitator avoiding direct intervention,'' said Ban who served as South Korean foreign minister. ``After discussions with Kim and the government, I will try to conduct what I am expected to do.''
Ban added it was meaningful to visit Korea when positive progress in the North Korean nuclear issue was being made.
The Stalinist state destroyed a cooling tower at its Yongbyon nuclear facility on June 27 in a gesture demonstrating its commitment to halt its nuclear weapons program.
The unification minister said he expected the U.N. chief to play an important part in improving inter-Korean ties, pointing at suspended communications between authorities of the two countries.
After the meeting, the U.N. secretary general left for Japan to take part in the annual meeting of the Group of Eight (G8) leaders.
On Saturday, Ban met with Prime Minister Han Seung-soo and expressed hope that Seoul would contribute support and active participation to settlement of climate change and peacekeeping activities.
He was also given a hero's welcome during the first visit to his home village in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, since taking office early last year.
Ban met with his tearful mother before visiting the graves of his father and ancestors.
He also gave a lecture at Chongju University near his hometown, where students held a mock U.N. conference.