Unification Minister Hyun In-taek met Saturday with Kim Yang-gon, head of the United Front Department of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party.

Kim is one of six North Korean delegates who came to Seoul Friday to pay respects to late former President Kim Dae-jung.

Hyun and Kim reportedly discussed the implementation of two inter-Korean summit declarations and ways to resume dialogue between the governments of the two Koreas.

The unification minister is presumed to have urged the North to return the South Korean fishing ship detained by the communist country on July 30th as soon as possible.

This is the first meeting between high-level government officials of North and South Korea since the current conservative government led by President Lee Myung-bak took office in Seoul in February 2008.

Before the meeting, the North Korean delegate stressed the urgent need to improve inter-Korean relations, hoping for frank dialogue with the South Korean minister. The North Korean official also heads the Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, the North's organization in charge of inter-Korean affairs.

Hyun thanked the North Korean delegation for paying condolences over the death of the former president.

The North Korean delegation was scheduled to leave for Pyongyang at 2 p.m. Saturday. But the departure was delayed, prompting speculation that the North Koreans may meet President Lee Myung-bak.