Unification Minister Kim Ha-joong has vowed to remain flexible when addressing threats from North Korea to close down the Gaeseong Industrial Complex.

Kim told the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, trade and unification Tuesday that the government is attempting to persuade Pyongyang to engage in dialogue.

The minister added that the North’s criticism of the South, and threats of cutting ties with Seoul, are apparently aimed at pressuring the Lee administration to fully implement past inter-Korean agreements. Kim said a visit by top North Korean military officials to Gaeseong last week is likely to have been part of the attempts to prompt Seoul into acting on the accords.

Kim said South Korea will continue with efforts to resolve the North’s nuclear issue and maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through close cooperation with the United States, downplaying rumors that North Korea will exclude the South in its dialogue with the U.S.