By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter

The government hinted Friday that South and North Korean officials are making contact in a bid to prepare an inter-Korean summit amid rampant rumors on secret meetings in a third country.

A government official, however, pointed out that the media is going too far.

``If this is a five-act play, we are currently seeing the first or second act. But it appears that the media already reached the fourth one,'' the unidentified official was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.

A presidential advisor also admitted that Seoul is in communication with Pyongyang.

``Since his inauguration in February last year, President Lee Myung-bak has reiterated that he is willing to have a meeting any time,'' he said on condition of anonymity.

Unification Minister Hyun In-taek, meanwhile, refused to comment on reports that North Korea's ``Dear Leader'' may visit the South for the summit since the previous two rounds were held in the North.

But he said it was essential to make progress on the North Korean nuclear issue before negotiating an inter-Korean summit.

Rumors continue that senior North Korean officials have met with their South Korean counterparts and are fine-tuning details of a summit between President Lee and Kim Jong-il.

According to reports Thursday, unidentified top officials met with Kim Yang-gon, director of North Korea's United Front Department, dealing with inter-Korean affairs in Singapore and discussed the summit.

Kim was confirmed to have travelled to China between Oct. 15 and 20 but the reports claimed that he went to Singapore with Won Tong-yon, a senior member of the Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, to make contact with South Korean officials.

Earlier this week, rumors had it that the two met with Rep. Lee Sang-deuk of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) and elder brother of President Lee in Beijing.

The lawmaker immediately denied it, saying he did not even know who they were.

Some reports speculated the summit would take place next June after the local elections, but a presidential spokesman denied the possibility.

``It is not true at all. It's just political fiction.''

As rumors and speculations on inter-Korean contacts abound, government officials have been ordered to remain silent over the issue.

During a meeting of senior secretaries hosted by presidential chief of staff Chung Chung-kil Thursday, participants emphasized they were unaware of the issue.

Unification Ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo also said in a daily press briefing that she has seen nothing to confirm the contact rumors.

The first inter-Korean summit took place in 2000 between the late former President Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-il.

The second came seven years later when former President Roh Moo-hyun symbolically walked over the inter-Korean border.

ksy@koreatimes.co.kr