South Korean religious leaders will visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) later this week, a rare trip aimed at promoting peace on the divided peninsula, the unification ministry in Seoul said Monday.

The heads of South Korea's seven largest religious groups, all members of the Korean Conference of Religion for Peace (KCRP), will travel to Pyongyang via China on Wednesday for a four-day visit.

The leaders are expected to hold talks and joint prayer meetings with their DPRK counterparts. The unification ministry, which oversees inter-Korean affairs, said the visit will not include a speculated meeting between the religious leaders and top DPRK leader Kim Jong-il.

Observers say the rare trip might help improve inter-Korean ties, strained after two deadly border incidents last year that had prompted Seoul to suspend nearly all exchanges with Pyongyang.