South Korean government sources said Wednesday that Seoul will not allow a large group of civilians to visit North Korea for events in Pyongyang such as Arirang, the North's biggest propaganda spectacle.

The sources said the restriction was made in consideration of frozen inter-Korean relations following the recent shooting death of a South Korean tourist at a North Korean resort.

Seoul's Unification Ministry Spokesman Kim Ho-nyeon announced at a news briefing that the government has previously allowed South Koreans to visit the North only when their visits helped inter-Korean exchanges and did not run counter to the South's social order.

Kim said that while Seoul maintains its stance, the situation could change.

Seoul will apply strict, situational rules in deciding whether to allow South Koreans to visit the communist state.

Nevertheless, the government reportedly plans to permit small-group visits to the North for discussion of aid or inter-Korean exchanges.