PYONGYANG – Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, will invite Pope Francis to visit Pyongyang. South Korean president Moon Jae-in will deliver the invitation during his visit to the Vatican next week.

Although he may be the first pope to visit North Korea, Pope Francis is not the first to receive an invitation. Saint Pope John Paul the Great was once invited. The invitation came after a 2000 inter-Korean summit, but never resulted in a papal visit. The Vatican declined the invitation, and said acceptance could only come if Catholic priests were accepted in North Korea.

Until this point, the Vatican and North Korea don’t have a formal diplomatic relationship.