A South Korean delegation has left for North Korea to discuss the disposal of unused fuel rods from the North’s Yongbyon nuclear reactor.

Led by the South’s deputy chief nuclear envoy Hwang Joon-kook, the six-member delegation will arrive in Pyongyang Thursday morning via Beijing.

This is the first visit for South Korean government officials to Pyongyang since the conservative South Korean government took office last year.

Hwang told reporters before his departure that his team will look into technical details regarding the unspent fuel rods.

The results of the visit will be used by the members of the six-way nuclear talks when deciding how best to dispose of the rods.

Hwang said that his team doesn’t plan to discuss economic or energy provisions during the visit.

He added that the government is still deciding the timing for the shipment of three-thousand tons of steel pipes to the North under a six-party energy assistance accord. He said Seoul will make its decision on whether to resume fuel oil aid after talks with North Korea in the future.