South Korean government opposes any additional sanctions by the United States against North Korea, South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok said in a program of local TV station on Friday.

"Economic dealings with the North (DPRK) in general are not subject to the UN resolution," Lee said in a midnight talk show by local broadcaster MBC.

"The sanction provided by the UN resolution only covers dealings that are related to missiles and weapons of mass destruction," said Lee, who takes charge of the inter-Korean affairs in South Korean government.

Lee's remarks came after reports that the United States and Japan are preparing additional sanctions against Pyongyang.

"Although South Korea follows large parts of US policies, not everything the US does is what other countries do," Lee pointed out.

In an earlier news conference on Thursday, Lee said additional or economic sanctions against North Korea would be an over-interpretation of the resolution.

(Xinhua News Agency July 21, 2006)