SEOUL - The Republic of Korea will "actively" seek to resume visits by its citizens to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), a move that would lift a temporary ban on cross-border travel it has imposed after the death of the DPRK's former leader Kim Jong-il, the government said on Friday.

The Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, will actively review resuming cross-border travel by its people as the DPRK has regained normalcy after the end of the official mourning period for the late leader, the ministry spokesman Choi Boh-seon said in a briefing.

"We have restrained citizens from travelling to the DPRK, except for the Kaesong Industrial Complex, considering that the DPRK is busy in many respects and that may have a problem dealing properly with (the visits)," said Choi.

The ROK has temporarily banned its citizens from visiting the DPRK, except for the jointly-run industrial park in the border town of Kaesong, after the death of Kim Jong-il was announced on December 19.

All planned visits including humanitarian aid-related trips and conferences on inter-Korean historic sites have been put on hold.