Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae has hinted that Seoul is ready to lift current sanctions on Pyongyang, saying inter-Korean talks could be a turning point to that end.
 
Giving a lecture at a Seoul hotel Friday, the minister said the sanctions are currently barring economic cooperation between the two Koreas but that the Seoul government has already completed relevant studies.
 
He said the sanctions will present a very awkward situation when the main contract is signed for the Rajin-Khasan logistics project and South Korean money is invested in the project with North Korea and Russia.  
 
Ryoo said the government plans to allow as many as possible social, cultural, religious and sports exchanges with North Korea this year which marks the 70th anniversary of Korean independence from Japanese colonial rule.
 
He added that while North Korea needs to change its attitude on the nuclear issue, South Korea, for its part, also needs to work to induce the change and be more flexible with preemptive efforts.