North Korea has rejected the South Korean government's proposal for working-level talks to discuss temporary reunions of separated families in the two Koreas.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) reported that the South Korean Red Cross had proposed Wednesday that the two Koreas hold working-level talks to arrange reunions of separated families, but the North Korean Red Cross turned down the proposal Thursday. The KCNA also called on the South to lift the May 24th sanctions and resume the suspended tourism to Mount Geumgang.

The South Korean Unification Ministry said the North’s demands were unacceptable. The ministry said the president of the South Korean Red Cross earlier proposed that working-level talks be held on August 17th in either Gaeseong or Munsan to hold reunions of separated families around the Chuseok holiday in September.

Meanwhile, the South Korean government is under criticism for not disclosing the proposal for inter-Korean Red Cross talks until the KCNA rejected it.