Seoul's Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan says that he believes there is no need for North Korea to contact South Korea through a third party.

Kim’s comment comes amid media expectation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il will likely send a message to the South through former U.S. president Jimmy Carter.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Kim also said that he does not have high expectations on the possibility of the North's shifting of its stance following Carter’s visit there. He called for North Korea to directly engage in dialogue with South Korea, saying he does personally believe in the need for the North to send South Korea a message through a civilian.

Kim also stated that the prospect of denuclearization talks between the two Koreas is hard to predict at this point. The minister said that South Korea already proposed bilateral talks in January and is waiting for North Korea’s response. He expressed the government's hope for a positive reply from the North.