South Korea's ruling Grand National Party seeks to ameliorate relations with neighbor North Korea through economic cooperation and humanitarian assistance, The Korea Times reported.

Representative Hong Joon-pyo, chairman of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP), told media the government plans to visit the Gaesong Industrial Complex (GIC) of North Korea on Friday to discuss on ways to invigorate North Korea's joint industrial complex.

"This afternoon there was a positive answer to my application for the visit," the lawmaker briefed the media.

The chairman along with five GNP lawmakers including the party's spokesperson representative Kim Gi-heyon and four unification ministry officials will make a tour around the complex and reach out to company operators and employees to learn about their difficulties. At present, there are more than 47,000 North Koreans and more than 700 South Korean workers in 123 factories in Gaesong Industrial Complex.

Earlier, representative Hong expressed willingness to visit the Gaesong complex with hopes to ease out the tensions between two countries. He also stated the visit, though economic in nature, may entertain discussions on sensitive issues.

Since 2008, the relations between two Koreas have been plagued when South Korean President Lee Myung-bak replaced the decade-old of engagement with a heed to the call of other countries for North Korea's denuclearization. Last year saw tensions peaking after Pyongyang initiated two deadly attacks near the two Koreas' maritime border in the west, prompting Seoul to halt all cooperation with the north.

Yoo Ho-yeol, professor for international relations at Korea University told AFP the Gaesong complex is the "easiest" venue for representative Hong to visit because the place has survived tensions sans any major disruptions.

"The trip will be a barometer for the Lee administration to gauge the North's stance on developing relations. For representative Hong, if he gets a positive impression, it will be a stepping stone toward greater changes in government policy," AFP quoted the professor as saying.