Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso is preparing to go to Seoul as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's special envoy to attend the inauguration of South Korean President-elect Park Geun Hye later this month, a government source said Thursday.

The move is aimed at improving Japan-South Korea relations, which have soured over a territorial dispute, and to enhance bilateral coordination in response to North Korea's nuclear test conducted Tuesday, according to the source.

However, there is a chance Aso, who doubles as finance minister, may have to stay home instead to deal with Diet deliberations over a draft extra budget for fiscal 2012, the source said.