A U.S. House Representative and outspoken critic of North Korea's human rights records will visit Pyongyang on Saturday.

Rep. Tom Lantos, a senior Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, is one of the sponsors of the North Korea Human Rights Act.

North Korea denounced the legislation which was signed into law late last year as a U.S. attempt to topple its government.

Attention is being drawn to the motive of North Korea's acceptance of Lantos’offer to visit the Communist country. The California Democrat is considered to have a significant influence on the U.S. policies toward the North.

In announcing the lawmaker's visit, his aides refused to give details of his four-day visit, only saying that he would meet with senior North Korean officials and discuss 'issues of common interest'.

Separately, six other U.S. lawmakers also plan to visit North Korea next week to discuss the stalled six-party talks on the country's nuclear program.