Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan says giving off the impression of inter-Korean discord on the world stage must be prevented by all means.

In a Monday morning meeting with ministry officials, he clarified the issue of the chairman's statement adopted at the recent ASEAN Regional Forum. He said the government wants to hold direct dialogue with North Korea to find ways on how to implement a series of inter-Korean agreements.

He stressed a government stance pursuing coexistence with the North rather than confrontation. He cited four standards for implementing inter-Korean agreements: progress on the nuclear issue, business feasibility, government finance and public consensus.

On the Dokdo issue, Yu said the Foreign Ministry needs to better publicize Seoul's sovereignty over the islets to the world on its Web site in at least five languages — Korean, English, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese.