Seoul's point man on North Korea will not attend an upcoming forum in Russia as Pyongyang has not indicated its willingness to hold talks there, government officials said Monday.
  

Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo was considering attending the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok this week but dropped the plan as North Korea has not confirmed the participation of its foreign trade minister, Ri Ryong-nam, in a trilateral session also involving Russia, one official said on condition of anonymity.
  

The forum opens Thursday for a three-day run.
  

"We judged that it would not be appropriate for the minister to attend events related to the Eastern Economic Forum, so it will be difficult for him to go," Unification Ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee said in a press briefing.
  

The trilateral session was expected to deal with economic cooperation projects involving the three sides, including the Rajin-Khasan logistics project carrying Russian coal to South Korea via the North.
  

Had the inter-Korean meeting taken place, it would have signaled a further thaw in the two Koreas' relations following last week's landmark agreement that defused heightened military tensions and laid the groundwork for greater cross-border exchanges.
  

Hong was one of South Korea's two chief delegates to the marathon talks that ended in the deal.
  

The forum will draw high-level officials from South Korea, China, Japan and other countries in the region to discuss ways to boost economic ties.
  

South Korea will be represented by its trade minister, Yoon Sang-jick. (Yonhap)