According to the outlet, Unification Ministry spokesperson Yoh Sang-key on Wednesday stated that the sanctions, which banned inter-Korean exchanges, halted all trade between the two countries and prohibited North Korean ships from entering South Korean waters, have lost their intended effect, particularly in the wake of sanctions imposed on Pyongyang by Washington.
However, when answering reporters’ questions on Thursday, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said that there was no link between the ongoing speculation and the possibility of Seoul lifting the sanctions, the agency reported.
The Cheonan warship sunk off South Korean’s western coast on March 26, 2010, resulting in the deaths of 46 sailors. In the aftermath of the incident, which Seoul blamed on Pyongyang, the South Korean government imposed a set of sanctions, known as the May 24 Measures, on North Korea three months later. Pyongyang, however, defined involvement in the incident.