The Voice of America says that U.S. experts on North Korean affairs arrived in the communist country on Friday for a one-week visit and will discuss promoting civilian-level exchanges between the two countries.

VOA quoted several diplomatic sources as saying that the U.S. delegates include Susan Shirk, Director of the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation at the University of California, San Diego, and Karin Lee, Executive Director of the National Committee on North Korea.

According to the broadcaster, earlier attempts by the U.S. experts to visit Pyongyang were discouraged by the U.S. State Department in the wake of the sinking of the South Korean naval vessel "Cheonan."

VOA added that attention is being paid to what effect the delegation's visit and the U.S. government’s recent offering of relief aid for North Korean flood victims may have on resuming dialogue between the two countries.