The 17th inter-Korean ministerial meeting will take place Tuesday on Jeju Island.

Unification Ministry official and Seoul's spokesman for the talks Kim Cheon-sik told reporters Monday that the two Koreas will assess progress in their bilateral relations and focus discussion on the direction of ties.

Kim said the government will urge the North to implement the joint statement of the six-way nuclear talks and to return to the meeting.

Seoul will also propose another round of inter-Korean military talks.

He said Seoul will bring up thorny issues such as the North's detention of South Korean prisoners of war and abducted fishermen.