Unification Minister Kim Ha-joong has decided to attend an event to mark the eighth anniversary of the June 15, 2000 inter-Korean summit and joint declaration, ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyoun told reporters on Monday. The event is scheduled for Thursday at the International Conference Hall of the 63 Building in Seoul.

Following the ministry's June 4 announcement on providing 50,000 tons of corn to the North, the minister's latest decision is seen as a conciliatory gesture toward North Korea. The North has rejected dialogue with the South since the inauguration of the Lee Myung-bak administration, while reiterating the importance of the June 15 joint declaration.

The Lee administration has so far been reserved about the joint declaration, asserting that cooperation programs, many of which remain unimplemented, should be addressed in future inter-Korean talks. The North for its part has accused the South of having ignored inter-Korean agreements.

Around 700 guests are expected to attend the anniversary event, including former president Kim Dae-jung, who was directly involved in the joint declaration, and Bruce Cumings, professor of history at the University of Chicago. They are expected to issue a statement urging the authorities of both Koreas to resume their dialogue.