The Ministry of Unification confirmed that Pyongyang must take responsible measures such as the acknowledgement of the sinking of the South's naval corvette Cheonan before Seoul can lift sanctions against the North.
 
Regarding former President Lee Myung-bak’s memoir which mentioned that the North had suggested addressing the sinking only as "unfortunate," a unification ministry official said it was inappropriate to discuss the memoir.
 
The official said it was a bygone conclusion that the sinking was perpetrated by the North and that Seoul cannot accept the North’s denial. The official added that if the North has something to say, it must come to the arena of dialogue and urged the North to respond to proposals for talks.
 
The official also denied media reports that there were discussions between South and North Korean authorities during a meeting in Beijing in May 2011 to hold a summit meeting between the two Koreas. The official stressed that the main reason for the meeting was to urge the North to admit to the Cheoan sinking and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island and to seek an apology and a promise to prevent a recurrence.
 
Asked if it had become difficult to hold family reunions during the Lunar New Year, the official said the important thing is to hold the reunions, not when they happen.