The government says the format of North Korea's invitation for visits by South Korean civic groups matters little if their safety isn't guaranteed.

The remark comes after North Korea changed the word 'invitation' to 'consent' last month on approval notices it distributes to South Korean groups wanting to visit the North. The Seoul government is concerned whether the change will affect South Korean safety in the North.

In a Thursday briefing, Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyoun said he heard that Pyongyang informed the civic groups the alteration was nothing more than a format change.

Kim also said that before November 2005, applications for a visit to the North required documents guaranteeing a safe stay and return, but since then, papers confirming Pyongyang's invitation have been sufficient for approval.