High-profile advocates of an international nuclear-test-ban treaty will visit South Korea this week to send a clear message against North Korea's nuclear tests, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The Group of Eminent Persons for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty will hold their third meeting in Seoul on Thursday and seek international support against North Korea's nuclear weapons program, ministry spokesman Noh Kwang-il said in a press briefing.

The meeting will be attended by Hans Blix, former chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Lassina Zerbo, head of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, among others.

"The meeting is expected to serve as opportunity to secure international support against the North Korean nuclear issue, deliver a strong message for the early effectuation of the CTBT and against further nuclear tests by North Korea, and contribute to expanding international support for our disarmament and nonproliferation policy," Noh said.

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se plans to open the two-day meeting on Thursday with a speech on South Korea's position on the CTBT's effectuation and the North Korean nuclear issue, he added. (Yonhap)