But her proposals aimed at laying the groundwork for unification have lost the limelight as North Korea has not stopped its nuclear and missile development programs.

South Korea's unification ministry said that now is the time to focus on making North Korea reverse the course of pursuing provocative acts by applying strong sanctions and pressure on Pyongyang.

"But the government believed that the policy direction sought by the Dresden Declaration is still valid as the proposals called for efforts to boost inter-Korean exchanges and restore national unity," a ministry official said.

The official expressed regret that inter-Korean exchanges remained tepid due to heightened tensions sparked by North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations.

"It is regrettable that the government's efforts to boost exchanges with the North could not bear fruit because of North Korea's two nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches," she added.

Seoul has suspended almost all civilian inter-Korean exchanges in response to Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test and long-range rocket launch in early 2016.

North Korea has condemned Park's proposals, saying that they are a push to reunify the countries by force.

Park's Dresden speech came under spotlight last year as television network JTBC reported that her long-time confidante Choi Soon-sil allegedly had received and edited drafts of presidential speeches before they were publicly delivered.

The ministry rejected the speculation, saying that the main ideas contained in the speech were discussed among officials at the office of foreign affairs and security aides.

"They were reported to Park through the usual process of writing a presidential speech," the official said.

Chang Si-ho, Choi's niece who is also standing trial over the scandal, claimed that Choi also coined Park's iconic phrase about unification.

Park made strong pitches for unification, saying that inter-Korean unification would be an economic "bonanza" for the two Koreas and a blessing for neighboring countries as it will bring about the chance of massive investments in North Korea.

Jailed Chang told a TV program that Choi made the catchphrase with the idea of Park serving as the president of both Koreas after unification.

The ministry official rejected Chang's claim, adding that the phrase was picked from the title of a book written by Shinn Chang-min, honorary professor at Chung-Ang University in Seoul.

The scandal led Park to be removed from the presidency in early March.(Yonhap)