The South Korean government has approved the visit to Seoul of a high-level North Korean delegation that is looking to pay respects to late former President Kim Dae-jung.

A Unification Ministry spokesman told a news briefing that the government made the decision after consulting the bereaved family. The ministry said it hopes the delegation’s visit will improve inter-Korean relations.

The delegation will be led by Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea Kim Ki-nam and will include five other high-level North Korean officials, such as Kim Yang-gon, head of the United Front Department of the North's ruling Workers' Party.

The delegation will arrive in Seoul on Friday via a direct flight over the Yellow Sea and will return to Pyongyang the next day.

The ministry spokesman said the North Korean delegation has not asked for a separate meeting with South Korean government officials.