South Korea urged North Korea Wednesday not to blame Seoul for the failure to organize a joint event to mark the 15th anniversary of a historic inter-Korean summit.

A preparatory group in South Korea said Tuesday that the North had proposed to separately hold a summit anniversary event in mid-June, in what could be another setback to the already strained Seoul-Pyongyang ties. The North rebuked the South for setting unnecessary preconditions for the event.

The Ministry of Unification voiced regret over the North's move, calling on Pyongyang not to blame Seoul for the thwarted attempt to jointly celebrate the event.

"It is very inappropriate that the North has passed the buck to the South over the failed move to organize it," ministry spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol said at a press briefing.

Lim said that Seoul will continue to encourage civilians to expand inter-Korean exchanges if they help promote reconciliation and restore national unity.

The North's decision may also dampen prospects for holding a joint event that marks the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule on Korea's Liberation Day that falls on Aug. 15, experts said.

Touching on the reported severe drought in North Korea, Lim said that Seoul plans to grasp the situation in detail before deciding whether to provide humanitarian assistance.

The United Nations has warned that North Korea is likely to suffer from serious food shortages this year due to drought. (Yonhap)