The government has reiterated that North Korea must take responsibility for its sinking of the Cheonan naval corvette in order for South Korea to lift the so-called May 24 economic sanctions.
 
A Unification Ministry official repeated the stance as the nation is marking on Thursday the fifth anniversary of the Cheonan incident.
 
The official said Seoul imposed the May 24 sanctions as a response to the North’s sinking of the Cheonan vessel, adding that the step was a necessary one for the sake of normal development of inter-Korean relations.
 
The official said there is no change in Seoul’s stance that in order for the May 24 sanctions to be lifted, the North must take responsible steps for the Cheonan sinking that the South Korean people can understand.
 
The official said that if South-North dialogue resumes, the South will seek to address various issues, including the May 24 sanctions, and seek to find common ground. The official stressed that in that process, Seoul would aim to secure responsible steps from Pyongyang.