The U.S. State Department has allowed North Korea's deputy ambassador to the United Nations to visit San Diego.

Radio Free Asia says deputy mission chief Kim Myong-gil and mid-level official Paek Jong-ho will be able to attend the inaugural inter-Korean film festival to be held this weekend at the University of California, San Diego.

Because North Korea has no diplomatic ties with the U.S., North Korean nationals at the U.N. must get prior approval from the State Department to travel more than 40 kilometers from the center of Manhattan.