South Korea's unification ministry on Monday said more information is needed to analyze whether control of North Korea's defense ministry has changed following the latest overhaul of cabinet organizations.

The Ministry of People's Armed Forces, the North's defense ministry, was previously placed under the control of the powerful National Defense Commission before the North's parliament replaced the NDC with a newly created state apparatus named the State Affairs Commission last week.

On Thursday, the North's state media called Pak Yong-sik, minister of the armed forces, by a different title, indicating a change in the ministry's status.

Jeong Joon-hee, spokesman at the Ministry of Unification, said that more understanding is required to properly analyze whether the North's defense ministry was overhauled as a cabinet organ or it remains under the SAC's control with a new name.

The NDC mainly focused on defense and security-related affairs, but the role of the new commission was expanded to other sectors, including unification, diplomacy and the economy as a key decision-making body, according to Seoul's unification ministry.