Seoul says North Korea has allowed South Korean journalists to join the small group of foreign media being allowed to cover the dismantling of its nuclear test site.

North Korea had earlier refused to allow South Korean journalists into the country to witness the event, raising worries about the prospect for recently improving ties. Their exclusion followed Pyongyang cutting off high-level contact with Seoul to protest joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises.

The dismantling of the North's Punggye-ri nuclear test site is expected to happen between Wednesday and Friday depending on weather.

Seoul's Unification Ministry said North Korea accepted the list of eight South Koreans to attend via a cross-border communication channel.

A special flight was to take the journalists to North Korea later Wednesday. The other journalists had arrived Tuesday.