REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SEOUL -- South and North Korea ended their first high-level talks in seven years without any progress, an official said Thursday, due mainly to upcoming military exercises between Seoul and Washington.

North Korea called on South Korea to delay the military exercises until after staging the reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, the official of the unification ministry said.

The Koreas have agreed to hold the reunions at Mount Kumgang, a scenic resort on the North's east coast, from Feb. 20 to 25.

The North had previously pressed South Korea to scrap the military exercises, which are set to run from Feb. 24 through April, condemning them as a rehearsal for a nuclear war against it.

Seoul and Washington have repeatedly vowed to go ahead with the exercises, calling them defensive in nature.

South Korea rejected the North's request at their border talks, noting that family reunions should not be linked to the military exercises.

South Korea reiterated that family reunions are a first step toward improving inter-Korean relations.

"We proposed that South and North Korea build confidence by implementing the family reunions," the official said after the two Koreas ended the marathon talks at the border village of Panmunjom on Wednesday.

The development illustrated the chasm that divides the rival Koreas on security issues and cast doubt whether the sides can hold the reunions as scheduled.

"Differences between the two Koreas have not been narrowed," the official said.

The North unilaterally called off family reunions in September at the last minute.

Millions of Koreans remain separated since the Korean War ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty. Family reunions are a pressing humanitarian issue, as most of the separated family members are in their 70s and 80s, and wish to see their long-lost relatives before they die.

At Wednesday's talks, North Korea reiterated its demands that the rival Koreas halt all slander and all hostile military acts to help improve inter-Korean relations, according to the official.

Pyongyang also called on Seoul to control its media by taking issue with South Korean news reports that the North claims hurt its leader, Kim Jong-un.

South Korean media have recently criticized Kim for his failure to remove his shoes when he visited several children inside a room at a Pyongyang nursery. The North has long bristled at any outside criticism of its leader.

Seoul has said it is North Korea that has frequently criticized South Korea, not the other way around.

The two Koreas agreed to continue to discuss issues, according to the official, though they did not set a time frame for the next talks.

Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged to make aggressive efforts for better inter-Korean ties.

South Korea has urged Pyongyang to demonstrate its sincerity through actions, not words.

Bilateral ties plunged sharply last year after the North carried out a third nuclear test and threatened to launch nuclear attacks against South Korea and the United States.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika