PYONGYANG, January 09. /ITAR-TASS/. North Korea has rejected South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s invitation to hold reunions of families separated by the 1950-1953 Korean War.

The Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea sent the relevant notification to South Korea’s Ministry of Unification.

The committee explained its decision by the fact that Seoul’s confrontation policy against Pyongyang “experiences no fundamental changes,” which was proved by endless military maneuvers against North Korea that South Korea “conducted last year and planned to continue this year.”

At the same time the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea confirmed its interest in improving relations between North and South Koreas. If South Korea demonstrates interest in discussing Pyongyang’s proposals for inter-Korean family reunions, the sides “will be able to discuss this issue in any suitable time,” the committee said.

During a televised news conference on January 6 Park Geun-hye said inter-Korean family reunions could be held around Lunar New Year and promised to increase humanitarian aid to Pyongyang. The president highlighted her country’s intention to seek broader exchanges between the two Koreas.

Park called on the two Koreas to seek reunion and stressed importance of liquidating North Korea’s nuclear programme, what always evoked Pyongyang’s negative reaction.