Unification Minister Chung Dong-young says the issues of South Korean abductees and prisoners of war in North Korea must be settled for the sake of inter-Korean ties.

Chung told reporters that he had called on Pyongyang to address the matter during his Saturday meeting in Mount Geumgang with the vice chairman of the North's Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, Ri Jong-hyuck.

Chung said he had stressed the need to resolve humanitarian issues in order to facilitate inter-Korean cooperation and enhance mutual understanding.

The minister also urged Pyongyang to actively implement agreements reached between the two Koreas at previous rounds of inter-Korean ministerial talks and economic cooperation meetings.

He also proposed building an airport in the vicinity of Mount Geumgang in order to improve access to the mountain resort, pointing out that accommodations and a golf course were already planned for construction in the area.

Chung made a two-day trip to the North Korean locale on Friday to attend an inter-Korean ceremony marking the seventh anniversary of tours to the resort.