North Korea did not respond to Seoul's call for talks to normalize operations at the joint industrial complex that has been suspended for nearly three weeks, the government said Friday.

The Ministry of Unification said that it did not receive a reply from Pyongyang by noon, the deadline set by Seoul when it proposed working-level government talks on Thursday.

The North's stance is expected to compel South Korea to take "serious measures" that can impact the industrial park, which remains the only remaining economic link between the two Koreas.

Details on what actions will be taken have not been revealed, but there has been speculation that Seoul may advise for the pull out of the remaining 175 workers at Kaesong.

Operations of the 123 South Korean companies at Kaesong came to a halt on April 9, when Pyongyang pulled out all of its 53,000 laborers who worked for the companies. Six days earlier, the North barred South Korean personnel and industrial materials into the complex.

The current standoff marks the most serious challenge to the complex since it started operations in late 2004.

The shutdown comes as the North has ratcheted up its war of words in recent months after detonating its third nuclear device on Feb. 12 and launching a long-range rocket late last year in defiance of warnings by the international community. (Yonhap News)