Former Prime Minister Goh Kun and six other South Koreans will fly to Pyongyang this week to attend an international academic seminar, the Unification Ministry said Sunday.

Goh and his entourage will depart for Pyongyang via Beijing on Monday to attend the week-long seminar hosted by Pyongyang University of Science and Technology through next Monday, a ministry official said.

"The government's position is to approve any requests for inter-Korean exchanges in academics, sports and culture to recover the national homogeneity," the official said.

Goh will likely discuss with North Korean officials ways to help North Korea's forestation in his capacity as the head of an institute that promotes forestation in Asian countries.

Hahn Hern-Soo, another delegate and the president of Soongsil University, is expected to exchange opinions with North Korean officials on the possible construction of a university in Pyongyang, officials said.

Soongsil University in southern Seoul originated from a university of the same name built in Pyongyang in 1897. (Yonhap)