By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday in Seoul that he was willing to visit North Korea to restart talks to resolve Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.
He made the remark during a brief conversation with Lee Hee-ho, the wife of former President Kim Dae-jung who is hospitalized at Yonsei University's Severance Hospital in Seoul.
It is the second time for Ban to make public his positive role in resolving inter-Korean and North Korea's nuclear issues.
On July 29 at the United Nations, the former South Korean foreign minister said that he was willing to visit the communist state to discuss its ballistic missile programs.
Ban also said that the international community was deeply concerned about inter-Korean relations and the North's nuclear programs and as U.N. chief he would like to play a role to find a breakthrough.
Consoling the former first lady, Ban said no concrete measures have been set, including when he will visit Pyongyang.
In July, Ban said he was willing to do whatever he could do as the secretary-general, including visiting Pyongyang. But he said he needed to find out when would be an appropriate time.