The Unification Ministry has approved a plan by civic groups to meet with North Korean officials to prepare for an inter-Korean event.
 
With the approval, eight officials from the South Korean committee will meet with their North Korean counterparts on Tuesday and Wednesday in Shenyang, China to discuss details of holding inter-Korean ceremonies to mark the 15th anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration signed in 2000.
 
A ministry official said on Monday that the government will decide later whether to approve the inter-Korean event based on the results of the meeting.
 
The South Korean government has prohibited inter-Korean events marking the anniversary of the June 15 declaration since it imposed economic sanctions against the North in 2010.
 
The Unification Ministry said last week that it will broadly permit civic groups and local governments to seek inter-Korean exchanges as the two Koreas mark the 70th anniversary of liberation from Japanese colonial rule. It will also pursue joint projects with North Korean authorities in culture, history and sports.