Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong says a precondition to easing sanctions on North Korea would be for the country to return to denuclearization talks.

Chung made the remark at a parliamentary audit session on Wednesday, when asked if Seoul is still considering sanctions relief even after Pyongyang claimed to have successfully tested a new submarine-launched ballistic missile(SLBM).

The minister said measures, including sanctions relief, must be reviewed to prevent the North from further developing its nuclear and missile capabilities.

Chung added that the U.S., which has reiterated its openness to discuss any subject, shares this position.

As for the North possibly threatening to launch a nuclear-armed ballistic missile after declaring a formal end to the Korean War, Chung said the involved parties must continue engagement as a preventive step.

The minister said the war-end declaration is one way to build mutual trust, calling it the first mandatory step in the Korean Peninsula peace process.