Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok said Friday that properly managing South Korea’s alliance with the United States is as important as its relations with North Korea.

In a special lecture for the presidential National Unification Advisory Council, the minister affirmed that Seoul and Washington share basic values about market economy and democracy.

Lee said that while the Seoul-Washington alliance is very important to the South, relations can develop in a mutually beneficial and healthy way when the U.S. also articulates their importance.

He added that Seoul will resume humanitarian aid for North Korea as soon as it returns to international negotiations over its nuclear ambitions.