South Korea will continue its efforts to seek dialogue with North Korea while sternly responding to Pyongyang's provocative acts, its pointman on unification said Tuesday.

Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon made the remarks as North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan early in the morning. It flew more than 2,700 kilometers at a maximum altitude of around 550 km.

"North Korea is focusing on developing nuclear and missile programs, shunning away from international calls not to do so. The government strongly condemns North Korea's provocation," Cho said at a forum on humanitarian assistance to North Korea.
 

"Based on firm military posture, the government will make diplomatic efforts to resolve North Korea's nuclear issue peacefully," he added.

Touching on humanitarian aid to North Korea, the minister expressed regret that Seoul suspended its support during the previous nine years of conservative governments.

"Even at the height of North Korea's nuclear standoff, the international community kept providing humanitarian assistance to the North," he said. "South Korea was swayed by politics as to this issue. It is regrettable and lamenting."

In May, the South said that it will allow more civic groups to seek exchanges with the North to an extent that the move would not hamper the international sanctions regime. But the North has rejected them. (Yonhap)