A North Korea expert in Seoul has urged the South Korean government to resume dialogue with the North by proposing inter-Korean prime ministers' talks.

Chung Sung-jin, a researcher at the private Sejong Institute, made the recommendation at a forum held Thursday on diplomacy and security policy under President Lee Myung-bak. He argued that Lee's proposal to open inter-Korean liaison offices in Seoul and Pyongyang is unlikely to be realized.

Chung said Seoul should seek to hold a second round of inter-Korean prime ministers' talks as agreed under the previous government last November.

The researcher also argued that as the South-North Basic Agreement of 1991 was signed at the prime minister-level, it does not necessarily take precedence over the summit agreements of 2000 and 2007.