South Korea's unification ministry is reviewing whether to permit a visit to North Korea by a local association affiliated with families separated by the Korean War.

Speaking to KBS on Monday, the president of the Inter-Korean Separated Family Association, Ryu Jae-bok, confirmed that the organization had received an invitation from a North Korean entity last November and requested the ministry's approval of the trip last week.

In a unification ministry press briefing on Monday, spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam said that the government was closely looking into the overall details, including the characteristics and reliability of the inviting entity.

He added that it was difficult to reveal the exact name of the organization that extended the invitation but did say that it was not an institution the ministry was aware of.

The invitation reportedly included a guarantee of the safety of three members of the South Korean association during the visit as well as a commitment to cover all costs.