Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok says inter-Korean dialogue should continue despite the collapse of the latest South-North Cabinet-level talks.

In an interview with a Seoul radio Friday, Lee said the North also agrees on the need for dialogue momentum even though talks are unlikely to resume in the near future.

The minister also said that the government will do its utmost to persuade Pyongyang to return to the six-party talks, but left open the possibility of a five-nation meeting without North Korea in the event the North continues to boycott the multilateral nuclear talks.

On Seoul’s aid of fertilizer and rice to the North, Lee said that Seoul will not resume aid until the North returns to the nuclear talks.