Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said South Korea feels the need to send a special envoy to North Korea to grasp the situation following the North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi.

The minister made the remark during a meeting of a special parliament committee on inter-Korean economic cooperation held Thursday.

The minister said the two Koreas are in contact two to three times a day, but that for the time being Seoul is waiting for Pyongyang to straighten out and decide on its stance.

Regarding sanctions, Cho said the international community believes sanctions should remain in order to achieve North Korea's denuclearization.

He characterized such sanctions as a tool to bring about denuclearization and said it's necessary to utilize sanctions in line with this purpose.

The minister was also asked to comment on whether Pyongyang should first apologize for the death of a South Korean tourist at the North's Mount Geumgang resort before Seoul can resume tourism to the mountain.

Cho said tours can be resumed through a process of necessary procedures, including safety guarantees by the North.