The remarks came one day after the United Nations Security Council adopted a US-drafted rule meant to provide an exemption from U.N. sanctions against the North for international aid groups operating in the communist state.

Seoul suspended its humanitarian assistance to the North under the U.N. Security Council sanctions, despite setting aside at least $8 million at the start of the year for North Korean aid.

Soon after the U.N. Security Council approved the change to aid for North Korea, an official from Seoul's unification ministry said the country will seek to provide its assistance to the North at an "appropriate time."

Still, the Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said he was unaware of any ongoing preparation to do so.

He earlier said Seoul was asking North Korea to speed up its denuclearization efforts while asking the United States to show its faith in their denuclearization agreement, partly by providing the rewards the North has been promised. (Yonhap)