The government proposed a second inter-Korean summit as early as last August, as a way to persuade North Korea not to carry out nuclear testing and urge it to return to the six party nuclear talks.

In a phone interview with Yonhap News Tuesday, then Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok confirmed that the government made such an offer, but was ignored by the North.

The former unification minister said that President Roh Moo-hyun and former chief presidential security aide and current Foreign Minister Song Min-soon, were both aware of the inter-Korean summit proposal.

Lee said that Seoul was trying to break through the deadlock in the North Korean nuclear standoff by proposing an inter-Korean summit to Pyongyang, while persuading Washington to take a joint and comprehensive attitude toward the North.