North Korea has refused to accept a list of South Korean reporters invited to attend an event next week showcasing the dismantlement of the regime's nuclear test site.

South Korea's Unification Ministry said it planned to send a telephone message notifying the North of the list on Friday through the liaison channel at the truce village of Panmunjeom. 

The ministry said it made an advance telephone contact to inform North Korea, but the North expressed its intent that it would not receive the notification, without explaining the reason. 

A ministry official said the South will wait a couple of days to assess the situation and consider sending the list again later, adding the ministry will also look into whether Pyongyang also refused to take the lists of journalists from other countries. 

Last Saturday, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said it would allow reporters from five countries, including South Korea, to observe the dismantling of the Punggye-ri nuclear site scheduled to be held for three days beginning May 23rd. 

The North invited four reporters each from a South Korean news agency and a broadcasting company as well as reporters from the U.S., U.K., China and Russia. 

The North’s refusal to take the list appears to be related to the sudden strain on their bilateral ties following the North’s unilateral decision this week to cancel high-level inter-Korean talks to discuss follow-up measures to the Panmunjeom Declaration.