SEOUL, Aug. 18 -- South Korea on Monday offered once again to hold senior-level inter-Korean talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as Pyongyang gave no response to the proposal in the past week.

Seoul's unification ministry said in a statement that the DPRK has not yet sent any response to South Korea's offer for the high- level dialogue made on Aug. 11, noting if Pyongyang cannot accept the proposed date of Aug. 19, it should suggest another convenient date for the talks.

The ministry said that Seoul offered to hold the talks in order to discuss mutual interests and other humanitarian issues, including the reunion of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War by taking the opportunity of the Chuseok holiday, one of the country's biggest traditional holidays that fall on Sept. 8 this year.

The DPRK should first come to the dialogue table and discuss issues, which it has claimed to resolve, such as the lifting of the so-called May 24 sanctions, the ministry said, adding that Seoul can discuss any issues to improve inter-Korean relations if Pyongyang shows sincere attitude.

The May 24 sanctions were imposed by South Korea in 2010 when the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan sank in waters near the disputed western sea border in March that year, banning all inter- Koran exchange except for the joint factory park in the DPRK's border town of Kaesong.

The DPRK was believed to have given no response to the dialogue proposal as South Korea and the United States launched the 12-day joint military exercise, called Ulchi Freedom Guardian, on Monday as scheduled.

The computer-assisted simulation exercise, which runs until Aug. 29, will mobilize about 50,000 South Korean troops and 30,000 U.S. forces, including 3,000 U.S. soldiers operating overseas and coming here for the drill.

The South Korean military has claimed the drill is annually held and of defensive nature, but the DPRK denounced it as a rehearsal for the northward invasion.