Seoul's unification ministry said that a spirit of reconciliation expressed in the declaration takes on a significance for the current grave inter-Korean ties.

"By respecting and implementing the joint declaration, the two Koreas should carry out a spirit of seeking peace on the Korean Peninsula and inter-Korean reconciliation," the ministry said.

The anniversary came amid heightened tensions sparked by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. Liberal President Moon Jae-in proclaimed a dual-track approach of pressure and engagement.

But North Korea called Moon's policy a "foolish act and self-deception," urging the South to ditch what it called confrontational policies, including Seoul's 2010 unilateral sanctions.

It has turned down South Korean civic groups' move for inter-Korean exchanges in protest of Seoul's support of the latest UN sanctions against Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests.

North Korea's agency in charge of inter-Korean ties Wednesday called on South Korea to take actions to ease military tensions along the border. (Yonhap)