South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha says that now is not the time to ease sanctions against North Korea.

Kang made the remarks on Monday after arriving back in Korea from her visit to the U.S., dismissing media speculation that she stressed the need for an easing of the sanctions during her meetings with UN Security Council member states.

The minister said that she was looking to secure some exceptions from the sanctions, which are needed for inter-Korean projects. 

Asked about whether her latest U.S. trip was aimed at playing a role as an intermediary between Washington and Pyongyang, Kang stressed the importance of communication between the allies.

Regarding the possibility of the two Koreas and the U.S. declaring a formal end to the Korean War during their possible meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September, Kang said that Seoul is making continuous efforts on the matter, but that it is difficult to say exactly when it would happen.

[Photo : YONHAP News]