North Korea rejects South Korea's proposal to resume family reunions this month

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea has rejected South Korea's proposal to resume reunions of families separated by the Korean War.

The reunion program remains stalled amid tension between the rival Koreas since it was last held in late 2010. The Koreas had planned to resume the program last September before Pyongyang abruptly scuttled it.

A key dispute is North Korea's push to link the reunion's resumption to the restart of a dormant lucrative joint tourism project in the North.

South Korea on Monday offered to hold talks Friday on resuming the reunions around the Lunar New Year Day later this month.

The North's state media said Thursday that the talks can take place later if the South intends to discuss "the proposals of our side" in an apparent reference to the tourism project.