The government is not, at the present moment, mulling sending a special envoy to North Korea to seek the release of South Koreans detained by the North.

Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hye-sung told a news briefing that although an envoy is not being considered, the government is focusing all efforts on the detainees’ release and will continue to do so.

The main opposition Democratic Party’s floor leader, Lee Kang-rae, on Wednesday proposed that the government completely revise its North Korean policy to mark Independence Day on August 15th and send a special envoy to negotiate the release of the detainees.

North Korea has been detaining a South Korean worker at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex since late March on charges of criticizing the North’s political system and attempting to persuade a North Korean woman to defect to the South.

The North also has in custody the crewmen of the “800 Yeonan-ho,” a South Korean fishing boat which strayed across the Northern Limit Line in the East Sea last week.