"Despite being very far from each other, [Slovenia and South Korea] have more in common than it would seem at first sight," Pahor said after talks with Speaker Chung Sye-Kyun and former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, now the president of the International Olympic Committee's ethics commission.

According to Pahor, the two countries "understand and support each other in international relations, and I wanted to add new momentum to this understanding and affection. We need it and they need it".

Turning to the meeting with the South Korean president scheduled for tomorrow, Pahor said Moon Jae-In had invited him because "he knows of my efforts for peaceful resolution of conflicts ... and he knows of my efforts for reconciliation".

Referring to the question of how to maintain the Olympic thaw in relations between South Korea and North Korea, Pahor added he appreciated the risky bit reasonable decision by Moon Jae-In to wager on dialogue with North Korea. Nevertheless, Pahor said "we must not be naive" despite charming words coming from Pyongyang.

"I think most of the peaceful world, and Slovenia is part of this world, wants President Moon ... to succeed," Pahor added.

Meanwhile, Pahor believes that Seoul is seeking an economic partner in Central Europe and that both countries know that the Koper port is the shortest route between the Korean peninsula and Central Europe. "They have expressed great interest," he added.

Pahor has been in South Korea since Saturday, visiting Slovenian athletes at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games before he was scheduled in Seoul for the official part of the visit. He will wrap up the visit with a trip to the demilitarised zone between both Koreas on Tuesday.