The Unification Ministry said Wednesday that it has allowed a visit to North Korea by religious officials.
 
Ministry spokeswoman Park Soo-jin said the government approved the cross-border visit on Wednesday that will be made by officials of Won Buddhism and the Cheontaejong Buddhist sect.
 
Four officials of Cheontaejong will visit the North's border city of Gaeseong on Thursday on a one-day trip to discuss holding a joint inter-Korean Buddhist mass to mark the ninth anniversary of the completion of the Yeongtong Temple. 
 
Four officials of Won Buddhism will also visit Gaeseong on Friday for talks on arranging a mass wishing for a peaceful Korean unification. 
 
Spokeswoman Park said the visits were approved in accordance with the government's stance that it will continue to allow social and cultural exchanges between the two Koreas in the nonpolitical sector.