Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung says that South Korea has more problems to resolve toward the improvement of inter-Korean relations than in the realization of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through the six-party process.

While acknowledging the importance of resolving the North Korean nuclear problem, he stressed that settling the issue doesn't mean that every problem between the two Koreas has been fixed.

The unification minister’s remarks come after U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow last Friday underscored the importance of coordinating progress in inter-Korean relations with the denuclearization process.

The South Korean official emphasized consistency in tackling inter-Korean affairs, saying that implementation of the February 13th six-way denuclearization accord is ongoing, although things have been rocky.