SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean government on Friday promised to remain transparent on any possible bilateral talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

    The Unification Minister Hyun In-taek told a National Assembly unification, foreign affairs and trade committee meeting that the government will make efforts to remain transparent on inter-Korean talks, including the summit between the two sides.

    But he declined to confirm reports about that senior officials of the two countries secretly met in Singapore to discuss the possibility of holding an inter-Korean summit.

    In responding to a query by a lawmaker who said that the government has promised to hold inter-Korean dialogue based on public opinion, but local media reports recently have been poured on secret meeting between high-level officials of both sides, the minister said the purpose of inter-Korean talks is to achieve the denuclearization of the DPRK and seek to develop the inter-Korean relations. The government will make efforts to promote such talks in a transparent manner and based on public opinion, he added.

    On the inter-Korean summit, Hyun said it is still too earlier to discuss the venue and agenda, noting that the most important thing is whether the summit is conducive to the settlement of the DPRK's nuclear issue and the development of the inter-Korean ties.

    At the meeting, lawmakers criticized that the secret meeting between Yim Tae-hee, South Korea's Labor Minister, and Kim Yang Gun, the director of the United Front Department of the DPRK's Workers' Party, in Singapore around Oct. 20 on issues related to inter-Korean summit, was contrary to public opinion and the principle of transparency.

    However, Hyun said "no comment" in responding the issue.