North Korea has urged the South to respond to its calls for dialogue.
 
In a briefing session commemorating the 15th anniversary of the June 15 inter-Korean summit on Monday, the vice president of North Korea's Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly said if Seoul genuinely wants to repair the severed South-North relations and is willing to work towards reunification, it should respond to the North's offer.
 
In the session, aired on the North's Korean Central Television, Yang Hyong-sop said progress in bilateral relations is not possible amid an atmosphere of confrontation and commotion, including the holding of war exercises targeting each other.
 
In a statement earlier Monday, the North Korean government said there is no reason not to hold dialogue with the South if an atmosphere of trust and reconciliation is created.
 
South Korea responded that Pyongyang should come to the dialogue table without any preconditions.