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

The reunion programme has not begun again since it was halted late in 2010, as tensions between the two countries remain high. The two countries had planned to resume the program last September before Pyongyang abruptly scuttled the plan.

The dispute centres on North Korea's push to link the reunion's resumption to the restart of a dormant lucrative joint tourism project in the North.

On Monday, South Korea offered to hold talks this week on resuming the reunions, which it said could begin close to the Lunar New Year Day later this month.

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