Seoul seeks 'stable dialogue channel' with Pyongyang: minister

South Korea is trying to establish a "stable dialogue channel" with North Korea, Seoul's top policymaker on the communist neighbor said Thursday, adding the alliance with the U.S. is the cornerstone of the effort.

In a round-table meeting with U.S. experts on Korea, Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik also reaffirmed that his government is prepared to provide large-scale assistance to the North if it makes a decision to abandon its nuclear program.

"The South Korean government will keep its principled approach on North Korea. However, I am also looking for ways to increase flexibility in nonpolitical areas," the minister said at his opening remarks in the session hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a major American think tank.

He said the policy is to reduce tensions on the peninsula and "to create an environment for the two Koreas to come together to resolve pending issues." He did not specify what the pending issues are.

South Korea has been demanding North Korea's formal or informal apology for its two deadly military provocations last year -- the sinking of a naval ship and the shelling of an western border island.

The minister, who took office in October, pointed out that "abnormal relations" between the two sides continue to exist.

"North Korea should show its sincerity on denuclearization and it must take responsible measures regarding past military provocations," he added. "That will be the starting point in building a healthy relationship between the two Koreas."

Yu, formerly presidential chief of staff and ambassador to China, emphasized the importance of the Seoul-Washington alliance, describing it as the "real key" to resolving the North Korean problem.

"I am making efforts to secure a stable dialogue channel with North Korea," he said. "This is different from the sunshine policy in the past."

Yu said Seoul wants to resolve "pending issues" first and decide next steps, depending on North Korea's attitude.

The minister arrived here on Wednesday and met with senior U.S. government officials and members of Congress.

Several experts attended the roundtable discussions, including Frank Jannuzi, an East Asia specialist at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Scott Snyder, a researcher at the CFR; Jonathan Pollack, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Alan Romberg, senior analyst at the Henry L. Stimson Center. (Yonhap News)