By Michael Ha
Staff Reporter

North Korea is making an unlikely pitch to the organizers of the Gumball Rally to hold a race crossing the inter-Korean Demilitarized Zone.

Maximillion Cooper, chief executive of the U.K.-based race, said the North made the proposal to rally participants, Radio Free Asia reported Tuesday.

A group of rally participants were invited to Pyongyang last week. The glitzy race involves ultra-luxury cars including Alfa Romeos, Jaguars and Range Rovers driven by multi-millionaires.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has apparently given the green light for the deal.

The rally organizers said they hope to soon start discussions with the South Korean government on a 120-car rally spanning the entire Korean Peninsula.

``They wished we bring our cars to North Korea, they wished we could drive from North Korea to South Korea across the DMZ," Cooper said. ``We have a permission from North Korean leader Kim, from the government to do this. I have to decide when we do it."

The founder of the 3,000-mile auto rally said Pyongyang's decision shows the ``authoritarian country was loosening up."

South Korea's Unification Ministry said it has neither received an official request from rally organizers nor from the North on the event.

The ministry said it will approach the idea with an open mind and cited no need to rule out the possibility of an inter-Korean auto rally.

michaelha@koreatimes.co.kr