A delegation of 10 officials from the South will visit their neighbour to try and persuade them to discuss reducing nuclear weapons programme.
After a turbulent 2017, relations between the two Koreas has increased since the start of the year.
Baik Tae-hyun, a spokesman for the Unification Minister, said: “I understand the delegation’s visit is geared towards prompting talks between the United States and North Korea for progress in denuclearising the Korean peninsula.
“In that regard, we hope a positive atmosphere will be created.”
President Donald Trump had expressed his desire to start negotiation with the hermit state, leading to hope of a break through in relations between the two countries.
A statement from the White House released earlier this week said: “We will see if Pyongyang’s message today, that it is willing to hold talks, represents the first steps along the path to denuclearisation.
“In the meantime, the United States and the world must continue to make clear that North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs are a dead end.”
The new sanctions have sparked outrage in Pyongyang.
However, the US leader’s precondition that Kim Jong-un denuclearise before negotiations begin has been met with a frosty reception in Pyongyang.
A spokesman for the foreign ministry of North Korea warned: “In decades-long history of the DPRK-US [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] talks, there had been no case at all where we sat with the US on any precondition and this will be the case in future too.
“The US attitude shown after we clarified our intention for DPRK-US dialogue compels us to only think that the US is not interred in resuming DPRK-US dialogue.”
The news comes the day after North Korea unleashed fury at Trump’s plans for joint military drills with South Korea.
The promising a “dark cloud of war” should he persist.
It is hoped South Korea’s visit to the North will help convince the country to sit down with the US.
“In addition, I plan to hold in-depth discussions on various ways to continue talks between not only the South and the North, but also the North and the United States and the international community.”
The trip to Pyongyang is the South’s chance to reciprocate a visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s younger sister, Yo-jong, who visited the winter games.
“In addition, I plan to hold in-depth discussions on various ways to continue talks between not only the South and the North, but also the North and the United States and the international community.”
The trip to Pyongyang is the South’s chance to reciprocate a visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s younger sister, Yo-jong, who visited the winter games.