The Foreign Ministry plans to host a conference next year for its diplomats handling North Korean affairs at overseas missions, in an effort to facilitate the sharing of intelligence on the North, an official said Tuesday.

The ministry has held an annual meeting of its diplomats in charge of issues concerning North Korean defectors, but plans to expand the agenda of the conference to bring together more diplomats handling intelligence on North Korea, the ministry official said.

“The planned conference is expected to help exchange policies on North Korea among the ministry’s headquarters and overseas diplomatic missions,” the official said on the condition of anonymity.

The official also noted “the need for the sharing of policies on North Korea because the new government will be inaugurated early next year.”

South Koreans go to polls on Dec. 19 to pick their new leader.

The three major presidential candidates advocate engaging with North Korea, in contrast to a hard-line stance by incumbent President Lee Myung-bak, who is barred from seeking re-election under the constitution. (Yonhap News)