South Korea's ruling and opposition parties both expressed their welcome after it was announced that a high ranking delegation of North Korean officials would visit the South on Saturday.

Head spokesman of the Saenuri Party Kim Young-woo said in a verbal statement that the delegation's visit to the closing ceremony of the Incheon Asian Games was highly welcomed amid times of frigid ties between the two Koreas.

Kim added that the party hopes North Korea will cooperate with South Korea's attempts at high-level talks to resolve conflicts between North and South Korea.

The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) also welcomed the delegation, with its head spokesman Yoo Ki-hong stating it was meaningful that the North Korean officials were arriving on the seventh anniversary of the October 4 agreement between the two Koreas.

The October 4 agreement refers to the pact between the two Koreas supporting international talks on North Korea's nuclear program, which was signed at the end of a summit during a presidential visit by former President Roh Moo-hyun to Pyongyang in 2007.

Yoo said should the delegation meet with South Korean government officials during their visit, it could be categorized as high-ranking talks, which the two Koreas have not held for some time.