A special envoy of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in North Korea on Tuesday, the North's state-run news agency said.

Daniel Jean, national security advisor to the prime minister of Canada, and his party arrived in Pyongyang, the Korean Central News Agency said, without elaborating further.

The visit drew speculation that the envoy was to discuss the issue of Korean-Canadian pastor Lim Hyeon-soo detained in the reclusive regime.

Lim has been held in custody by the North since he entered the reclusive country on a humanitarian mission in January 2015. In December the same year, the North's highest court sentenced Lim to life in prison, citing his "subversive plots" against the Pyongyang regime.

Lim's family has been urging the Canadian government to step up efforts to release him after US college student Otto Warmbier was released in a coma from North Korea in June following a 17-month detention and died days after a medical evacuation. (Yonhap)