President Moon Jae-in on Friday met with a special envoy of his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo, who is said to be seeking to host the leaders of both South Korea and North Korea during the upcoming Asian Games.
In the meeting, held at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi delivered a personal invitation from the Indonesian president for Moon to visit his country during the upcoming Asian Games, slated to begin Aug. 18.
(Yonhap)
"The reason I came here today is to deliver an official invitation to the Asian Games, which are set to be held in Jakarta," the Indonesian foreign minister said through her interpreter, while handing a written invitation to the South Korean president.
Marsudi arrived here Thursday.
In an earlier meeting with her South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, Marsudi insisted the quadrennial sport event will also be a special occasion for South Korea and North Korea as the two Koreas have agreed to field joint teams in at least three events, including women's basketball.
President Moon expressed hope for the success of the regional sports event without offering any direct response to the invitation, according to Cheong Wa Dae pool reports.
"I offer my gratitude (to Indonesia) for allowing South Korea and North Korea to jointly march at the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and to form unified teams in certain events," Moon told the visiting Indonesian official, according to Cheong Wa Dae pool reports.
"I wish for the success of the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. And I hope it will be a great opportunity to further promote cooperation between not only the South and North Korea but all nations in Asia," he added.
If Moon visits Indonesia for the Asian Games, it will be his second trip to the Southeast Asian nation, following his three-day state visit to Jakarta in November. (Yonhap)