Seoul  - South Korea is offering its communist neighbour economic aid if North Korea resumes talks, a senior government official said Wednesday.

But if Pyongyang refuses to change its current position, then Seoul would not budge either, Unification Minister Kim Ha Joong said in a report to President Lee Myung Bak, outlining the tasks and goals for 2009.

His ministry would "sincerely urge" North Korea to "respond to our suggestion for inter-Korean dialogue," and economic cooperation, Kim was quoted as saying by the official South Korean Yonhap news agency.

"As long as North Korea shows no change in its attitude, the situation is expected to remain the same as now," Kim said.

In a conciliatory gesture, Kim refrained from linking improved relations to progress made in negotations over dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.

The ministry said it was considering aid for infrastructure development, agriculture, forestry, fishery and mining, as well as discuss Russian gas deliveries via North Korea.

Relations between the two neighbours deteriorated since February, when a conservative government took office in Seoul with a stricter policy line towards North Korea.

President Lee made progress in de-nuclearization a prerequisite for an extension of economic cooperation.

Pyongyang repeatedly rejected past offers of dialogue by Seoul. (dpa)