A UN special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights will reportedly visit South Korea next week to collect information on the situation of human rights in the communist country.  

U.S.-based Radio Free Asia reported on Friday that Tomas Ojea Quintana, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea, will make a five-day trip to Seoul from Monday. 

Quintana said in a statement on Thursday that he will make the trip to gather data to identify areas of concern which need to be brought to the attention of the UN Human Rights Council. 

The rapporteur plans to hold a news conference next Friday to explain the outcome of his Seoul trip. 

As North Korea has been denying Quintana's request to visit Pyongyang since 2004, the UN expert has been collecting information on the human rights condition in the North through the Seoul government, North Korean defectors and human rights organizations.  

Quintana plans to submit a report on human rights in North Korea to the UN Human Rights Council in March.