The South Korean Foreign Ministry said on Friday that it is mulling international coordination to resolve the killing of a South Korean civilian official by North Korea. 

Speaking before the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Friday, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, however, said Seoul will communicate with the international community by taking into account North Korea’s response, apparently referring to a rare apology from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. 

Earlier in the day, the North’s ruling Workers’ Party United Front Department sent a letter to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, saying the North feels "extremely sorry" for what it referred to as a "disgraceful incident."

The South Korean foreign minister said her ministry also judged it is difficult to take the case to the International Criminal Court given the nature of the incident, which happened in North Korean waters and involved a single death, is unlikely to meet the requirements for seeking the global body’s intervention. 

She said the ministry still explained Seoul’s denunciation of the incident announced by the National Security Council the previous day to other governments via diplomatic missions across the world and also to foreign diplomats stationed in the South.