South Korea's minister in charge of inter-Korean affairs stressed that issues arising from the shooting death of a South Korean official by North Korean troops last month should be resolved through dialogue.

When asked about the North keeping mum on the South's proposal for a joint investigation into the incident at a parliamentary audit on Friday, Unification Minister Lee In-young said seeking a way to resolve issues through dialogue would be a priority.

Referring to Pyongyang's earlier announcement that it would return the remains of the slain official upon discovery, the minister said Seoul will continue to make efforts to repatriate the official's remains.

On the two Koreas' joint effort to tackle COVID-19, Lee said the discovery and distribution of a vaccine could become a "game changer" for inter-Korean relations.

The minister said the introduction of a treatment or vaccine could not only prompt the North to ease border lockdowns and quarantine, but also return to prioritizing economic development.