The ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs says North Korea's latest firing of a projectile suspected of being a ballistic missile runs counter to the South's efforts for stability and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, an official at the Ministry of Unification urged Pyongyang to respond to efforts to achieve peace through dialogue, instead of repeatedly testing missiles at a time when stability on the peninsula is indispensable.

While declining to make an assessment on the motive behind the second projectile in just six days, the official called on the regime to select the path of cooperation for peace.

Asked about the validity of Seoul's push to declare a formal end to the Korean War, the official said the current instability calls for a swift resumption of dialogue among involved parties through the war-end declaration.

The official added that Seoul will continue efforts to create an environment for dialogue and cooperation through the declaration.