Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho reported to work at the inter-Korean liaison office in North Korea's border town of Gaeseong on Friday, his first day on the job as the office's South Korean chief.

He crossed the border into North Korea at around 8:30 a.m and headed to the liaison office where he encouraged the South Korean employees there and caught up on related affairs.

The staff members at the office go to work on Monday and leave Gaeseong on Friday while the head of the office, which is a non-permanent post, makes regular visits.

Suh was not able to meet his North Korean counterpart as the North earlier informed that its office chief, Jon Jong-su, would not travel to Gaeseong from Pyongyang. 

Instead, other North Korean officials, including temporary deputy director Kim Yong-chol, came out to welcome the new South Korean chief.

The Seoul government said it was considering changing the current format of a weekly meeting between the office's South and North Korean chiefs, and would discuss the idea with Pyongyang.