Pyongyang said Saturday it will link the abolition of South Korea's anti-communist National Security Law to the resumption of bilateral dialogue.
A statement released by the National Reconciliation Council, the channel for private-level inter-Korean exchanges, said Seoul's security law is the culprit of the current standoff and a stumbling block to national unity.
Urging the South to repeal the law, Pyongyang added progress in bilateral talks will hinge on its abolition.
The North's statement comes amid growing confrontation over the security law among South Korea's politicial parties. The ruling party insists on an outright abolition while the main opposition party only wishes to revise controversial clauses.
The dispute escalated last week when the Supreme Court upheld the security law in a final ruling, and openly attacked the ruling Uri Party for seeking its abolition.