By Chung Min-uck
Seoul on Wednesday expressed regret over Pyongyang's failure to respond to an earlier proposal from the South to hold inter-Korean family reunions next month, calling on the reclusive country to clarify its stance on the matter.
"We regret the North's obscure and passive attitude toward family reunions," said Ministry of Unification's deputy spokeswoman Park Soo-jin. "We also urge the North to clarify its position regarding our offered date."
The message was delivered to the North on Wednesday via a letter written in the name of the president of the South's Korean Red Cross, according to the ministry.
The North remained silent for days, despite the initial call made last week to resume the long-suspended reunions of war-separated families at Geumgang, a scenic mountain resort.
Welcoming Pyongyang's call, which was a response to Seoul's original proposal for the reunions to resume, the South offered to hold reunions at Mount Geumgang specifying the date from Feb. 17 to Feb. 22.
Seoul further suggested holding working-level Red Cross talks on Wednesday at the border village of Panmunjeom but this was called off because the North remained silent on the issue.
Observers say that Pyongyang is still wary of the South's envisioned military exercises with the U.S. which kicks off in late February.
The North previously called for a cancellation of Seoul's annual joint military exercises with Washington dubbed Key Resolve. But the South refused to do so saying that their joint exercises were defensive maneuvers.
The North claims that the military exercises could be a rehearsal for a nuclear strike against it.
Also on Wednesday, the Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's ruling Worker's Party mouthpiece, repeated the country's demand that Seoul scrap the drills, saying military hostility is a key obstacle to improving inter-Korean relations.
In line with this stance, the North on Monday urged the South to cancel live-fire drills on its islands near the maritime border in the West Sea (Yellow Sea), warning of a "grave consequences," according to the defense ministry.
Last year, the North abruptly canceled planned family reunions at the last minute.
Meanwhile, officials are closely scrutinizing Pyongyang's latest so-called charm offensive because the reclusive state has a track record of carrying out military provocations after making conciliatory gestures toward Seoul.
Millions of Koreans remain separated since the Korean War (1950-53) that ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty and family reunions are an urgent inter-Korean issue because most of those separated are in their 70s and 80s.
The two Koreas have held 18 reunions since 2000 but these were halted in 2010 after inter-Korean ties plunged to one of the lowest ebbs following a deadly attack by North Korea on a South Korean warship and an island.
Over 20,000 separated family members have met until now with around 70,000 South Koreans registered to participate in the program.
Seoul on Wednesday expressed regret over Pyongyang's failure to respond to an earlier proposal from the South to hold inter-Korean family reunions next month, calling on the reclusive country to clarify its stance on the matter.
"We regret the North's obscure and passive attitude toward family reunions," said Ministry of Unification's deputy spokeswoman Park Soo-jin. "We also urge the North to clarify its position regarding our offered date."
The message was delivered to the North on Wednesday via a letter written in the name of the president of the South's Korean Red Cross, according to the ministry.
The North remained silent for days, despite the initial call made last week to resume the long-suspended reunions of war-separated families at Geumgang, a scenic mountain resort.
Welcoming Pyongyang's call, which was a response to Seoul's original proposal for the reunions to resume, the South offered to hold reunions at Mount Geumgang specifying the date from Feb. 17 to Feb. 22.
Seoul further suggested holding working-level Red Cross talks on Wednesday at the border village of Panmunjeom but this was called off because the North remained silent on the issue.
Observers say that Pyongyang is still wary of the South's envisioned military exercises with the U.S. which kicks off in late February.
The North previously called for a cancellation of Seoul's annual joint military exercises with Washington dubbed Key Resolve. But the South refused to do so saying that their joint exercises were defensive maneuvers.
The North claims that the military exercises could be a rehearsal for a nuclear strike against it.
Also on Wednesday, the Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's ruling Worker's Party mouthpiece, repeated the country's demand that Seoul scrap the drills, saying military hostility is a key obstacle to improving inter-Korean relations.
In line with this stance, the North on Monday urged the South to cancel live-fire drills on its islands near the maritime border in the West Sea (Yellow Sea), warning of a "grave consequences," according to the defense ministry.
Last year, the North abruptly canceled planned family reunions at the last minute.
Meanwhile, officials are closely scrutinizing Pyongyang's latest so-called charm offensive because the reclusive state has a track record of carrying out military provocations after making conciliatory gestures toward Seoul.
Millions of Koreans remain separated since the Korean War (1950-53) that ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty and family reunions are an urgent inter-Korean issue because most of those separated are in their 70s and 80s.
The two Koreas have held 18 reunions since 2000 but these were halted in 2010 after inter-Korean ties plunged to one of the lowest ebbs following a deadly attack by North Korea on a South Korean warship and an island.
Over 20,000 separated family members have met until now with around 70,000 South Koreans registered to participate in the program.
![[INTERVIEW] Busan has potential to be world-class city, says mayor](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/b58861f810524e18a4ade3af8c9351f9.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
