Mongolia's new Ambassador to North Korea Luvsantseren Erdeneddavaa, second from left, meets Choe Ryong-hae, second from left, chairman of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly's standing committee, in Pyeongyang, Jan. 29. Yonhap

A North Korean diplomatic delegation led by Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong-ho has departed for Mongolia, the North's state media reported Sunday.

The delegation left from Pyongyang International Airport in the capital Saturday, the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, said, without specifying the purpose of the trip.

The diplomatic delegation's visit to Mongolia marks the first of its kind since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. The North last sent a delegation to the country in 2019.

The latest trip is seen as part of the North's diplomatic efforts to strengthen ties with its traditionally friendly countries.

Mongolia is viewed as having close relations with the North, having maintained its diplomatic mission in Pyongyang even during the pandemic despite strict border restrictions.

In January, Mongolia's new top envoy to Pyongyang, Luvsantseren Erdeneddavaa, submitted his letter of credentials to the North. (Yonhap)