Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan says North Korea must demonstrate its commitment to denuclearization through action before the six-party talks can resume.

Kim told reporters Tuesday that Seoul is unchanged in its stance in that regard.

He added that the resumption of the six-party talks is premature and would go against the principles of the South Korean government.

Kim said that all parties to the multilateral denuclearization talks, excluding North Korea, must agree on the terms for the resumption of the dialogue and that Seoul will continue to discuss the issue with relevant nations.

The minister stressed that Washington and Seoul share the stance that discussions between North Korea and the U.S. cannot be held until after inter-Korean talks.