The International Monetary Fund Managing Director Horst Koehler said Saturday the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will invite North Korea to attend next year's IMF/World Bank annual conference as a special guest. IMF will provide technical assistance to North Korea even before its membership into IMF if the country wishes it, Koehler said during talks with visiting South Korean Finance and Economy minister Jeon Yun-churl. Next year's conference opens in September in Dubai, United Arab Emirate. IMF invited North Korea once before, to the conference in 2000 in Prague. But the invitation was issued just one month before the opening, making it more of a formality than a real invitation. In explaining the decision, Koehler told Jeon that the South Korean government had steadfastly pursued an engagement policy toward North Korea, and that it is important to create the conditions to expedite North Korea's entry to the global financial community.