A North Korean military official said Thursday that inter-Korean relations are "at a serious crossroads."

Kim Yong-chol, chief policymaker of the North's National Defense Commission, made the remark during his visit to the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, noting that "fundamental issues" must be resolved first for the future of the complex.

Sources say that the two-star general was referring to the normalization of bilateral relations based on Seoul's implementation of inter-Korean summit declarations.

According to the Unification Ministry in Seoul, the North Korean official also pointed out that the work environment for North Korean workers at the industrial complex was "not good," and demanded improvements.