Seoul has proposed preliminary meetings to arrange inter-Korean talks in accordance with the August 25 South-North agreement, but the North has refused to meet.
 
A Ministry of Unification official told reporters Friday that the South has proposed preliminary meetings with the North three times since September.
 
The government suggested the first meeting on September 21 in a notification sent to the North's Workers’ Party Secretary Kim Yang-gon. But the North avoided giving an answer two days later, questioning the sincerity of the proposal.
 
Seoul again called for a preliminary meeting on September 24 and attempted to send another notification on October 30, but the North refused to take receipt of it.
 
The official said the South's proposal didn't include a specific agenda such as the resumption of tourism to the North's Mount Geumgang.
 
The official added that the August 25 South-North agreement should be faithfully implemented and that it is the basic position of the government that the two sides should discuss various pending issues at talks between authorities.