North Korea rejected an invitation for its leader Kim Jong-un to attend a planned summit in Seoul with Southeast Asian nations next week, saying “now is not the time” due to strained ties, Reuters reports.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in sent a letter of invitation to Kim on November 5, with an offer for an envoy to attend if he was unable to participate in the event, according to KCNA news agency.
Moon will host leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the South Korean port city of Busan next week to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their partnership.
While thanking Seoul for the invitation, North Korea requested the South’s “understanding that we could not find any legitimate reason” for Kim to participate. The statement also accused South Korea of harming relations by depending on the United States in resolving inter-Korean issues.