A delegation from the German foreign ministry is visiting Pyongyang to conduct technical inspections of the German Embassy building, which was temporarily shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic four years ago.

According to Voice of America(VOA) on Wednesday, the spokesperson from the German ministry said the delegation is scheduled to stay in Pyongyang for several days to inspect the site of the embassy that was shut down in March 2020.

The spokesperson said the latest visit is not a move to prepare for the embassy's reopening, adding the trip was arranged through close cooperation with Germany's partnering countries, including those in the region.

The ministry had reportedly also consulted with South Korea's foreign ministry.

It is the first time that a visit to the North by a diplomatic delegation from a Western nation has been reported since the regime began a border lockdown in response to the pandemic in January 2020.