SEOUL -  South Korea formally offered to hold a working-level meeting over resuming the reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) this week, the unification ministry said Monday.

The ministry said it had sent a message to the DPRK, suggesting to hold talks on Thursday at the truce village of Panmunjeom.

"We've proposed the resumption of the reunion events of the separated families marking the Lunar New Year, which were supposed to be held in September," Yonhap news agency quoted the ministry as saying.

The ministry expected Pyongyang's quick response and regarded the resumption of the family reunions as a first step to bring new opportunities for the inter-Korean relations.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday also proposed to resume the reunions around Lunar New Year.

"We hope to hold the reunion for our separated families who have been waiting for more than 40 years around the Lunar New Year," said Park, pledging to open a new era for the reunification of the Korean peninsula.

After the DPRK unilaterally delayed the reunion of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, inter-Korean ties turned frosty, with talks about resuming tour to the scenic Mount Kumgang resort being postponed.