A war of nerves over the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue continued Monday as North Korea ratcheted up pressure on the South to lift its economic sanctions and cancel the annual South Korea-U.S. military drills slated for next month.

Seoul’s Unification Ministry reiterated that it was not willing to take any further “preemptive” steps to encourage Pyongyang to come forward, following Seoul’s proposal for inter-Korean dialogue late last year.

“We are not thinking of taking any preemptive steps to address North Korea’s demands to bring it out to the table for talks,” said Unification Ministry spokesperson Lim Byeong-cheol during a regular press briefing.

“The North should first come out for dialogue and discuss those demands it has put forward. It is inappropriate for the South to address those issues first before the talks begin … inappropriate in terms of the genuine, fundamental development of inter-Korean relations.”

As for Seoul’s offer of dialogue with Pyongyang, Lim said that Seoul would not be bound by any timeframe. Seoul’s preparatory panel for national reunification initially proposed holding talks in January.

“The panel’s proposal for dialogue also remains valid beyond January. We are not calling for Pyongyang’s response within any fixed timeframe,” he said.

On the same day, the Rodong Sinmun, the daily of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, warned that should the South push ahead with the joint military drills with the U.S., it would bring cross-border ties to a new low. The North has said that it would put a moratorium on its nuclear tests in return for the cancellation of the Key Resolve/ Foal Eagle drills.

“The inter-Korean relations are at a crossroads between improvement and disintegration,” a commentary in the paper warned.

In a separate commentary, the daily repeated Pyongyang’s demand for Seoul to lift its economic sanctions against it, stressing that the sanctions have blocked inter-Korean cooperation and exchanges including the reunions of separated families.

“It causes us to feel enraged that the South distorts the realities and argues that the reunions of separated families had not been held because of us,” the commentary said. “If the South is really interested in the family reunions, it should make decisions to clear fundamental barriers to the relationship including the sanctions and planned military drills.”

The so-called May 24 sanctions were put in place in 2010 after the North was found to be responsible for a torpedo attack on a South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors. The North denies responsibility.

Meanwhile, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said that the South Korean military remained ready to counter any provocations.

A day earlier, the North warned of “stern punishment” in an angry response to the South’s refusal to accept its demands including the lifting of economic sanctions.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)