North Korea said Tuesday that a South Korean civic group has proposed holding friendly football matches between workers from the two Koreas in Seoul in August to promote cross-border civilian exchanges.

The South Korean Committee for the Joint Implementation of the June 15 Summit Declaration has offered to hold the games in Seoul on Aug. 15, the anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, according to the North's main propaganda website Uriminzokkiri.

North Korea said that the South Korean group vowed to make the football games happen to mark the 16th anniversary of the June 15 joint declaration signed during the first inter-Korean summit between then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Inter-Korean relations showed some signs of improvement last year on the back of the two Koreas' rare deal to ease military tension on Aug. 25.

But relations have since deteriorated to the lowest point in years after Pyongyang's nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch in February.

Seoul has suspended almost all inter-Korean civilian exchanges and not allowed South Koreans to visit North Korea.

Last year, South and North Korea's labor unions held their football games in Pyongyang to mark the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's colonial rule. (Yonhap)