A government official said that the gas pipeline project aimed at bringing Russian gas through both Koreas needs inter-Korean dialogue for progress to be made.

Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung said in a regular news briefing Wednesday that there had been multiple reviews of such a gas pipeline in the past.

Chun said that the ministry believes the recent congratulatory messages exchanged by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev touched on the project at a theoretical level.

The spokesman added that South Korea is interested in the project and that it is currently reviewing the possibility of the endeavor. Chun cautioned, however, the current stage of inter-Korean relations is not conducive to serious discussions on the matter.