SEOUL - Former US President Jimmy Carter is hoping to stop by in Seoul after his scheduled trip to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) next week, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

"It is true that he hopes to make a stop in Seoul, and we believe he will visit Seoul unless there are changes in circumstances," ministry spokesman Cho Byung-jae told reporters in a press briefing, confirming earlier media reports on Carter's visit to Seoul.

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Cho did not give out details on Carter's Seoul trip, and refused to comment on media speculation over a possibility of his meeting with the DPRK leader, Kim Jong-il, during his scheduled trip to the DPRK next Tuesday.

Carter's reported three-day visit is aimed at talks over Pyongyang's denuclearization, a peace treaty and humanitarian assistance.

The 2002 Nobel peace prize winner and philanthropist has visited Pyongyang in 1994 and 2002, respectively.

Three other former state leaders and members of a group called "The Elders", ex-Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, former Irish President Mary Robinson and former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, are also expected to accompany Carter.

Local reports said Carter's Seoul visit means South Korea would approve a direct flight from Pyongyang to Seoul, a rare event.