South Korea will establish a government agency specializing in comprehensive management and support of private-sector companies doing business with North Korea.

A Unification Ministry official said Tuesday that although inter-Korean trade is rising sharply, there is no specialized agency that speaks for the firms’ interests.

A source in the ministry said that North Korea has a unified channel for inter-Korean trade, dubbed the National Economic Cooperation Federation. However, the South has no organization that manages the entire cluster of South Korean companies doing business with the North. The source said that this leaves the South Korean firms vulnerable to unjust actions by North Korea.

The ministry said in order to address the matter, it will submit a revised version of the Inter-Korea Exchange and Cooperation Act to parliament to coordinate the opinions of traders and experts.