The mayor of Japanese port city Sakaiminato Katsuji Namakura will visit Rajin on Thursday for an economic survey, according to Japanese news agency Kyodo News.

“Keeping in mind that Rajin port is being used for trade by Hunchun, the purpose of this visit is to review potential freight routes between Sakaiminato and China,” said a spokesperson for Sakaiminato.

The visit will be a one-day tour, the article added, and will be the first visit to the DPRK by a local Japanese government official since talks between the two countries in May.

In July, Tokyo partially liftedunilateral sanctions on North Korea in exchange for