Newly named Unification Minister Lim Dong-won said Monday night that if asked by North Korea to provide aid, the government will base its decision on public opinion.

Appearing on a KBS TV news program, Lim said, however, that the government has not made any decisions this year on aid for North Korea, such as delivering fertilizer or food.

The minister said he thinks the lull in inter-Korean relations is just provisional. He said it would soon become active again, after some twists and turns.

Concerning the lull, Lim explained that the United States' new Bush administration is still formulating its North Korean policy, and the North seems to be watching and waiting while Washington decides how to approach it. This has caused inter-Korean relations to temporarily stall.

The chief North Korea policy maker also said the government will make every effort to make North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's return visit a reality in the first half of this year without being hasty or losing face.