The foreign ministry and unification ministry have denied the existence of any ongoing tug-of-war over North Korea policy.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, foreign ministry spokesperson Park Il denied the alleged mismatch between the ministries and said the two are working together towards resuming dialogue with the North.

Earlier the same day, an official from the unification ministry told reporters that the two sides share a goal of establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula, and that though their current approaches may differ, they will unify their positions.

The official, however, said the unification ministry will play a more active role if the two Koreas resume dialogue, exchange and cooperation.

Allegations of an inter-ministry struggle emerged after the unification ministry refused to participate in a foreign ministry-led consultation with the U.S. on North Korea policy coordination.

The unification ministry said it would separately consult with Washington when necessary.