North Korean External Economic Relations Minister Yun Jong-ho tests a Saipa car during a trade exhibition in Tehran in this file photo taken from the Instagram account of Iranian carmaker Saipa, May 7. Yonhap

North Korea's external economic relations minister has expressed intent for his country's cooperation with Iranian automaker Saipa during a recent rare trip to Tehran.

Yun Jong-ho made the remark as he visited a booth run by Iran's second-largest automaker at a trade show in Tehran during his 10-day stay in Iran, according to posts shared on the company's Instagram account on April 29.

"North Korea is ready to cooperate with Saipa Automotive Group," Yun was quoted as saying. "Given favorable bilateral political ties, the two countries could cooperate in the automotive industry."

But it remains unclear to what extent the two countries will be able to cooperate, with the passenger carmaking industry in North Korea known to have ground to a halt as the North focuses on manufacturing military vehicles.

North Korea took part in the inter-Korean carmaking joint venture Pyeonghwa Motors with the Unification Church foundation in South Korea in the early 2000s, but the foundation handed over management to the North in 2013.

It is rare for a ranking North Korean official to visit Iran. The last such visit took place in 2019, when Pak Chol-min, then North Korean vice chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly, visited Iran to discuss cooperation.

Having established diplomatic ties in 1973, Pyongyang and Tehran are known to have close ties while under international sanctions for their weapons programs. The countries have been suspected of exchanging ballistic missile parts and technology, especially during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War. (Yonhap)