North Korea repeated calls on Saturday for an early resumption of government-level talks with South Korea, to which Seoul has replied by setting its own conditions for talks, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing a government source in Seoul.
North Korea called for an early resumption of dialogue between the two Koreas, proposing to hold talks within a month.
The agency said the call came after Seoul rejected earlier proposals offered in what officials called a "unilateral announcement." Pyongyang's proposal may have been partly aimed at resuming Seoul's humanitarian aid to North Korea and tours to the North's Mount Kumgang, a source of income for the impoverished country.
Seoul also proposed talks with the North on Monday, but on the subject of the recent attack on an island near their disputed western sea border where four South Koreans were killed.
On Wednesday the reclusive communist state proposed "unconditional" resumption of the negotiations to ease tensions which followed the North's alleged sinking of a South Korean warship in March and the artillery strike on the South's Yeonpyeong Island in November.
Seoul on Thursday dismissed the offer as "propaganda."
Tensions have been high since Pyongyang shelled the South's Yeonpyeong Island last November, killing four people.
In December, the United States and South Korea held large-scale military drills in the area, which led the North to threaten "holy war" using its nuclear deterrent.
MOSCOW, January 10 (RIA Novosti)
