PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday sent a delegation led by Vice-Foreign Minister Ri Kil-song to visit seven Southeast Asian countries, the official KCNA news agency reported.

The delegation will visit Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, the state media said, without detailing the purpose of the visit.

On Sept 6, 2014, the DPRK sent a delegation of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea to visit Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and Mongolia, which was considered as a move to break the ice in its relations with Western countries.

Also on Sept 11, 2014, Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong left Pyongyang for an Asian-African legal meeting in Tehran and paid an official visit to Iran.