The top diplomat of the Vatican will visit South Korea later this month for talks on bilateral ties and issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, Seoul's catholic bishops' institution said Wednesday.

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican's secretary for relations with states, is scheduled to make a four-day visit to South Korea starting Nov. 20, according to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea.

During the envisioned trip, he plans to meet with South Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, as well as the CBCK's President Rev. Matthias Ri Yong-hoon and other religious figures.

He will also attend a symposium on a project to explore the history of relations between South Korea and the Vatican, according to the institution.

It would mark his second trip to South Korea, as Gallagher came here in July 2018, during which he met with then President Moon Jae-in and toured the Joint Security Area close to the heavily fortified inter-Korean border.

On Monday, Gallagher spoke by phone with South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin and discussed a range of issues of mutual concern, Park's office said. (Yonhap)