Seoul has urged Pyongyang to respond to its attempts to arrange details needed to repatriate two of the five North Korean sailors the South's coast guard rescued earlier this month in waters near Ulleung Island in the East Sea. 

Unification Ministry Spokesman Jeong Joon-hee told reporters Friday that the South sent a message in the name of the nation's Red Cross president to the North to sort out details for handing over the two North Koreans via the truce village of Panmunjeom.

In the message, the South also expressed regret over the North's inaction. Seoul made clear in the message that it cannot agree to the North's demand to reveal information about the three fishermen who expressed wishes to stay in the South. 

On July 4, the South Korean coastguard rescued a North Korean vessel and its five crew. The ministry said three of the five expressed their desire to defect from their communist home country, and informed the North that it will repatriate the two who wished to return.