South Korea is still reviewing whether to propose a date for talks on a family reunion to North Korea or wait for Pyongyang's offer, a government official said Thursday.

"We are reviewing the timing and related content," the Unification Ministry official said. A priority is to implement the agreement reached at the high-level negotiations between the two Koreas earlier this week, he added.

The two sides agreed to hold a Red Cross working-level meeting in early September to arrange the reunion of families separated by the 1950-53 Korea War on the occasion of the Chuseok holiday on Sept. 27.

Many expect, however, the reunion event won't be held before early October, given the time needed for preparations, including the selection of participants.

Holding such an event "on the occasion" of Chuseok does not necessarily mean "before or during" the holiday, which is a major celebration of the harvest in both Koreas, officials said.

"What's important is to abide by the agreed-upon schedule," another ministry official said. "A working-level Red Cross meeting needs to be held before Sept. 10. We are focusing efforts on that."

South Korea's Red Cross has begun working to confirm the fate of more than 66,000 separated family members formally known to be alive in the South. A total of 129,698 people are registered in the government's data system and half of them are reported to have died.

The two Koreas have held 19 rounds of face-to-face family reunion events so far, including the last one in early 2014. Around 2,200 South Koreans, mostly in their 70s, 80s and 90s, met their relatives in the North. (Yonhap)