South Korea's minister in charge of inter-Korean affairs said the relationship between Seoul and Pyongyang has come to a lull and discussions on various issues of mutual concern are not being carried out smoothly.

At the National Assembly's foreign affairs committee on Tuesday, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said there a lot of urgent issues that need to be addressed by the two Koreas, including reunions of war-separated families.

Kim added Seoul and Washington agreed that South Korean businesses should be allowed to visit the shuttered inter-Korean Gaeseong Industrial Complex to check their equipment and facilities.

On North Korea's recent criticisms of Seoul, Kim said he believed it unnecessary to directly respond to Pyongyang’s propagandistic comments.