The government has decided to establish diplomatic relations with Syria, the only UN member country with which it did not have diplomatic ties.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said Tuesday that the government is proceeding with relevant procedures to pursue diplomatic relations.

The government is expected to present a proposal for establishing diplomatic relations with Syria during a Cabinet meeting for review in the near future.

Last month, the government sent a delegation to Syria to explore the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations, during which Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani expressed a strong willingness to establish diplomatic relations with South Korea.

Syria had close diplomatic relations with North Korea since officially establishing ties in 1966, but the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime brought about a significant shift in its diplomacy with Pyongyang.