The South Korean government gave no immediate formal response Monday to media reports of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's plan to visit Pyongyang this week.

"We are still trying to confirm that," a government official said. "For now, we have no related information."

Another official pointed out although Ban is a South Korean national, his trip to the North does not require Seoul's approval.

The South's cautious stance indicates the U.N. has not consulted with the government yet on Ban's visit to Pyongyang.

Ban's office seems to have contacted the North directly through the North's mission to the U.N., known as the "New York channel." (Yonhap)