The foreign ministry said South Korea and the U.S. will maintain efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea through close cooperation to find a fundamental solution to the current nuclear impasse.

The remarks came after the U.S. slapped sanctions on North Korean individuals linked to the regime's missile development program.

A foreign ministry official said Thursday the fresh sanctions reflect Washington's long-standing stance of seeking dialogue and sanctions simultaneously to achieve complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The official once again urged North Korea to come back to the negotiating table, and refrain from further exacerbating tensions.

A unification ministry official also called for Pyongyang's positive reaction, reaffirming South Korea's will to continue efforts for dialogue through cooperation with the U.S. and the international community.