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Pope Francis could visit North Korea, the head of South Korea's intelligence services announced on Monday.
If the visit goes ahead, it would be the first time a pontiff has visited the totalitarian state.
Park Jie-won announced he would have a meeting with Archbishop Kim Hee-jung and the Vatican's ambassador in South Korea, Archbishop Alfred Xuereb, to discuss the potential visit to Pyongyang, according to Agenzia Fides, the news agency of the Vatican.
It is thought that Park told North Korean Catholics at a mass that he planned to meet with officials to plan the trip, The Times reported.
Pope Francis could visit North Korea, which would be the first time a pontiff has visited the totalitarian state
It is believed there are several hundred North Korean Catholics who practise their faith under the North Korean Catholic Association and not the Roman Catholic hierarchy.
The North Korean leader extended an invitation to the Pope to visit North Korea in 2018, when Kim Jong-un arrived for a meeting with a US Secretary of State.
The Pope said he would consider a trip to the country in certain circumstances if it could help bring peace.
A spokesman for South Korean president Moon
