The presidential office expressed dismay over North Korea's abrupt cancellation of a joint cultural event with South Korea set to be held at the North's Mount Geumgang ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

A presidential official said Tuesday that the notification is regrettable, adding that it doesn't look good for inter-Korean agreements to go unfulfilled. 

Another official at the top office said the presidential office and the government will exert all-out efforts to make sure that other joint events take place as planned. 

The official said the top office is looking into why the North cancelled the event and that as it hasn't made references to other events, Seoul should make sure that the cancellation doesn't affect the Olympics. 

A third presidential official said the inter-Korean joint women's ice hockey team, performances by a North Korean art troupe in the South and joint training by South and North Korean athletes in the North will proceed as planned.