(VOVworld) - The wife of the former President of the Republic of Korea, Kim Dae-jung, began her 4-day visit to North Korea on Wednesday with the hope of helping to improve long-strained inter-Korean relations. Lee Hee-ho, 92, was the South's first lady during Kim's five-year tenure until 2003.

Former ROK first lady Lee Hee-ho, widow of late President Kim Dae-jung, arrives at Gimpo Airport in Seoul, August 5, 2015.  Photo:Agencies

Her itinerary includes a visit to a children's hospital and a nursery facility in Pyongyang and Mount Myohyang in Pyongan province. The government has not asked Lee to convey a special message on inter-Korean relations to the North on the Seoul government's behalf, as Lee will visit the North in a private capacity. The 18-member delegation does not include high-profile politicians or former government officials.

A high-ranking official at the Unification Ministry said that Lee’s visit to North Korea was in itself is a big message as this year marks the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's colonial rule and the division of the two Koreas.