Seoul's Unification Minister says North Korea must first halt provocations and threats against the South in order for the two sides to resolve issues.

Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae made the call on Friday at a forum on inter-Korean relations at the National Assembly.

Ryoo said the administration's North Korea policies require Pyongyang's cooperation to achieve any substantial results, and the starting point of inter-Korean cooperation is the North's withdrawal of its threats.
 
He assessed that circumstances on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia are rapidly changing and uncertainties in the North are growing following the sudden execution of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un’s uncle Jang Song-thaek.