The government is considering lifting its restrictions on travel to North Korea.

According to government sources on Monday, Seoul is likely to approve within the next few days a civic group’s request to visit the communist state.

The Korean Sharing Movement earlier asked that the government allow a dozen of its members to make a four-day visit to the North this week to discuss humanitarian issues.

If the group’s request is approved, it would mark the first time since May for the government to allow visits to the North by a private group.

During the past few months, only officials working at the inter-Korean Gaeseong Industrial Complex or at the Mount Geumgang resort facilities were allowed to visit the communist state.