The Foreign Ministry says sanctions relief for North Korea will depend on the regime's substantial moves toward denuclearization. 

Ministry spokesman Kim In-cheol, responding to a question about Washington's position on North Korea sanctions at a press briefing on Tuesday, said the U.S. appears to insist a complete lifting of sanctions is possible when the North completely denuclearizes.
 
A similar question was posed to Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha at a parliamentary interpellation session on Monday. Kang said she does not agree that the collapse of the second North Korea-U.S. summit has taken the option of a phased lifting of sanctions off the table. 

Another Seoul official said complete easing of sanctions in return for complete denuclearization and step-by-step lifting of sanctions are not mutually exclusive.  

Top U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun, have recently shifted away from a gradual easing of sanctions, drawing speculation that the U.S. may have changed its stance.