( CNN ) -- In a sudden turn of events , North Korea on Saturday postponed reunions that were to start next week for families separated during the Korean War . A statement in North Korea 's state news agency KCNA blamed South Korea and said the reunions could not be rescheduled until a `` normal atmosphere '' was restored for dialogue and negotiations . North Korea claimed it had made sincere efforts to negotiate with its southern neighbor , but accused the South 's conservatives of `` reckless and vicious confrontations . '' It also alluded to a recent South Korean scandal involving a leftist politician who is accused of plotting to overthrow the Seoul government in case of a war with the North , calling the recent case a `` witch-hunting campaign . '' The North Korean statement also resumed referring to South Korea as a `` puppet regime . '' The family reunions were to be held from Wednesday to September 30 in North Korea . The North also announced that it would postpone talks of re-opening tours at Mount Kumgang for South Koreans . This was the location where a South Korean tourist was shot by a North Korean soldier in 2008 for allegedly walking into an off-limits area . The cancellation of the family reunions comes less than a week after it appeared that tensions between the two Koreas were cooling . On Monday , the Kaesong Industrial Complex , which is a joint park and a key symbol of cooperation between the Koreas , re-opened after a five-month hiatus . This had re-ignited hopes of better relations between the two nations . The family reunions are highly anticipated events , as the last such reunion took place in 2010 . The emotionally-charged reunions bring together hundreds of families divided by the Korean War , which occurred between 1950-1953 . The first such family reunion took place following a landmark summit between the two Koreas in 2000 . The meetings are bittersweet , full of tears and hugs from those who have n't seen each other in more than half a century . The chances of any of the divided family members meeting again are slim . A report released this week in South Korea reported that nearly 44 % of the 129,000 people who registered in a database to meet their separated relatives have died .
North Korea postpones reunions of family members divided by war . North Korea blasts South Korea and conservatives . Family reunions were to be held between Wednesday and September 30 .