Runners from South Korea will compete in a North Korean marathon for the first time next month.

The coach of the Seoul Olympic Sports Promotion Foundation team, Hwang Young-jo, said Friday that his team has been invited by organizers of a marathon in Pyongyang to compete for their Mangyungdae Award. The invitation was conveyed by Seoul's Unification Ministry.

Hwang, a gold medalist in the marathon event at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, said that a five-member squad comprising two marathoners and three officials will be sent for the event slated for April eighth in Pyongyang.

Hwang said that his team’s participation will begin a sports exchange between the two Koreas.

The annual international event held in Pyongyang was introduced to commemorate the birthday of the late North Korean leader Kim Il-sung.