South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young says the goverment will spare no effort to help former President Kim Dae-jung if he decides to visit Pyongyang again to meet with North Koran leader Kim Jong-il.

Chung made the comments in response to the ex-president's recent remarks that he would be willing to visit the North again but only at the invitation of the North Korean leader.

Chung said he believed such a meeting would go a long way towards resolving the ongoing crisis over North Korea's nuclear weapons.

Chung also said the government was carefully considering whether to comply with the North's recent request for 500,000 tons in fertilizer aid.