<Anchor>

The US Treasury Department confirmed last month that Korean banks are asking their companies for business trends in North Korea. Seven companies that went to Pyongyang during the last Pyongyang summit seem to be targets, but there are voices in the Blue House about the movement of the United States.

I'm a reporter for Seungmo.

<Reporter>

The US Treasury Department has confirmed that it has made progressive contacts with Korean companies that have visited Pyongyang during the recent summit talks.

Some companies have already spoken with the Treasury and some have been notified by the US Embassy that they will soon be calling Treasury.

So far, seven North Korean companies, including the four major groups, have been contacted. The US is reportedly asking about the North Korean project and the contents of dialogue with North Korea.

One SBS official said, "It is not a direct statement, but there was a nuance that it was difficult to push beyond sanctions."

During the conference call with seven domestic banks last month and the process of contacting the North Korean companies, the US Treasury has skipped our economy - financial authorities.

The ministry said that it knew it was not a "government passing," although it knew it had contacted companies through the US Embassy in advance. However, there was a vigilant reaction among the Blue House officials.

A Cheong Wa Dae official said it would be okay if the UN and the United States read the sanctions,

The authorities need to thoroughly confirm and respond to whether the aftermath of the disagreement over the speed of inter-Korean relations extends to the private sector.

(Video coverage: Seung Won Park, Seo Jin Ho, Image editing: Kim, Jong Mi)