Updated

North Korea says it has rejected South Korea's proposal for a series of meetings between the countries' leaders because the South leaked information on a secret preparatory meeting.

The North's powerful National Defense Commission said Wednesday that South Korea proposed three stages of inter-Korean summits during a private meeting in Beijing on May 9.

The commission says the North decided to reject the proposal because South Korea leaked and distorted information about the Beijing talks to reporters.

South Korea's presidential Blue House and the Unification Ministry said they couldn't immediately confirm the North's statement.