SEOUL - The Republic of Korea's Ministry of Unification recently requested the country's other governmental agencies to suspend their budgets related to inter-Korean cooperation projects, with the exception of humanitarian aid, a ministry spokesman said on Monday.

The ministry made the request last week in a letter to some 10 governmental agencies, including the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, and the ROK's forest service, ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung told a press briefing.

The move comes amid the recent strained relations between the ROK and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Chun said, citing the DPRK's seizure of Seoul's properties at the Mt. Kumgang resort.