Rep. Park Ji-won Korea Times file

By Park Si-soo

Opposition heavyweight Rep. Park Ji-won has invited North Korean athletes and a cheering squad to the Fina World Championships in the South Korean city of Gwangju next month, in an open letter he wrote to North Korean Kim Jong-un

In the letter posted on his Facebook account on Tuesday, the four-term lawmaker of the People's Party "cordially asked Chairman Kim Jong-un to accept" his invitation to show the world the "two Koreas' efforts for reconciliation and harmony."

"If North Korean athletes and cheering squad take part in (the aquatic championships), I guarantee it will become a big success," Park wrote. "It's Gwangju, the hometown of President Kim Dae-jung."

Captured from Park's Facebook account

In this June 2000 archive image, then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, left, and then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung shake hands in Pyongyang.?Korea Times file

The lawmaker's emphasis on Gwangju and President Kim Dae-jung has a reason. Former President Kim was the first South Korean leader to have a summit with his North Korean counterpart in 2000 ― Kim Jong-il, father of the present North Korean leader. The historic meeting and ensuing inter-Korean economic cooperation earned President Kim international recognition as a symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000.

Park was one of Kim's closest aides. Kim died on Aug. 18, 2009.

"In response to President Kim's invitation, Chairman Kim Jong-il sent athletes and cheering squad to Summer Universiade in Daegu in 2003 and the Asian Games in Busan in 2002, showing the world inter-Korean efforts for reconciliation and harmony," Park wrote.

Park's invitation is seen as his effort to revive inter-Korean cooperation that has been put on hold since the collapse of denuclearization talks between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February.