The South Korean government has said it is not appropriate to predict what impact the new U.S. sanctions on North Korea in response to the Sony hacking will have on inter-Korean relations.
 
Unification Ministry spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol made the remark in a regular briefing on Monday. He added that as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already stated, the government believes the sanctions are an appropriate measure.
 
Monday's statement by the Unification Ministry was in response to critics that the sanctions may have a negative impact on inter-Korean ties amid recent announcements by both Koreas to improve relations with each other.