South Korea has said it is inappropriate to begin discussions on the resumption of the Mount Geumgang inter-Korean tourist project, as Tuesday marks the eighth year since its suspension.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Unification Ministry cited North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations despite repeated warnings from South Korea and the international community, while turning a blind eye to the lives of North Koreans.

The ministry said it is time to focus on implementing strong and effective sanctions on the North in cooperation with the international community in order to create an atmosphere that encourages the regime to give up its nuclear ambition and take a path toward change.

Since it was launched in November 1998, the Mount Geumgang project had attracted more than two million tourists. The program was suspended in 2008 after the death of a South Korean tourist who was shot by a North Korean soldier near the Geumgang resort.