In this April 26, 2019, file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a wreath laying ceremony in Vladivostok, Russia. AP-Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will not attend a special summit that South Korea will host for Southeast Asian leaders next week, turning down President Moon Jae-in's invitation to the event, Pyongyang's state media said Thursday.

Moon sent a personal letter on Nov. 5 to invite Kim to the South Korea-ASEAN special summit slated for next Monday and Tuesday in the southeastern port city of Busan, but North Korea could not find any reason for its leader to travel for the event, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). (Yonhap)