North Korea says it will propose a date for preparatory talks Monday for the upcoming second inter-Korean summit.

Unification Ministry Spokesman Kim Nam-sik said North Korea made the announcement through a South-North liaison office at the truce village of Panmunjeom Sunday afternoon.

Last week South Korea had proposed to hold a preparatory meeting in the North's Gaesong city on Monday.

North Korea did not give any reasons for its apparent rejection of the South's earlier proposal.

The spokesman said that even if the dialogue opens slightly later than expected, there will be no difficulties in preparations for the inter-Korean summit because much of the specifics on protocols, security, communication and other issues were laid out during the first summit in 2000