S. Korea Urges North to Reply about Dialogue Offer

South Korea sent a new message Tuesday prodding North Korea to confirm if it would take part in the proposed resumption of high-level talks, criticizing the reclusive nation's "ambiguous attitude".

The two Koreas agreed earlier this month to restart the dialogue, and South Korea had proposed meeting on October 30.

But North Korea said Sunday it was being forced to reconsider due to a perceived lack of sincerity on the South's part, citing its refusal to ban activists launching balloons over the border with bundles of anti-North leaflets.

Seoul sent a message Tuesday urging Pyongyang to clarify its position by Wednesday.

"Pointing to North Korea's ambiguous attitude about the high-level contact, our government conveyed our position that such an attitude is not helpful for the development of inter-Korean relations," a unification ministry official said.

Seoul has insisted the North should not to make the issue of leaflet launches a pre-condition, while Pyongyang has condemned the activists involved as "human scum".

In recent weeks the North has stepped up its demands for Seoul to ban the practice entirely, but the South insists the activists have a democratic right.

A leaflet-launching operation near the border on Saturday saw activists clash with egg-throwing local residents, who argue that the events place them at risk of North Korean retaliation.

After a stand-off monitored by a heavy police presence, the activists, who had planned to launch around 50,000 leaflets, were forced to retreat.

The original agreement to resume a dialogue came during a surprise visit to the South by a top-ranking North Korean delegation earlier this month.

The visit fueled hopes of a thaw, but was followed by a series of minor border skirmishes that only served to rack up tensions.

On October 7, North and South Korean naval vessels traded warning fire near the disputed Yellow Sea border, and three days later border guards exchanged heavy machine-gun fire after the North tried to shoot down balloons launched by activists.

Because the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a ceasefire rather than a treaty, the two Koreas technically remain at war.

The last round of high-level talks was held in February and resulted in the North hosting a rare reunion of families separated by the Korean War.