Pyongyang has yet to respond to South Korea's offer to help it deal with an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in pigs.

Seoul's Unification Ministry said Pyongyang has not given any a nswer through the inter-Korean channel at the border village of Panmunjom. The ministry proposed talks with North Korea on Monday to discuss what would be the South's first humanitarian assistance to the reclusive state in over three years.

The North's state news agency reported last week that foot-and-mouth disease has infected over 3,000 animals.