An international energy conference in Daegu could have been a venue for inter-Korean interaction, a source told NK News.

The key phrase, however, is “could have,” as North Korea is said to have withdrawn its participation last week for unclear reasons.

Daegu, South Korea’s fourth-largest city, will host the World Energy Conference from October 13-17, which is expected to attract more than 5,000 participants from 100 countries. A source with knowledge of the conference said that the London-based World Energy Council, the organizers of the event, several weeks ago invited North Korea to send representatives, and Pyongyang responded in the