Pyongyang has placed the blame on Seoul for failing to resume reunions of families separated by the Korean War.
 
In a statement issued Thursday, the North Korean Red Cross said President Park Geun-hye and the South Korean government are misleading the public by accusing the North of preventing family reunions, calling the accusations nonsense and political provocation.
 
The North asserted that the South has eliminated the possibility of family reunions and other humanitarian cooperation by bringing the inter-Korean relationship to the brink of rupture.
 
It criticized the South for further escalating tension between the two Koreas, calling on the South to pave the way for inter-Korean exchange instead of simply uttering the word “humanitarian” as if it were a Buddhist chant.
 
The statement came two days after Park urged the North to accept a call for the resumption of family reunions while she was attending the Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul.