"Confrontation between north and south should be defused as early as possible," said the joint editorial by three main official newspapers, carried by the KCNA news agency.

"Active efforts should be made to create an atmosphere of dialogue and cooperation between north and south by placing the common interests of the nation above anything else."

But North Korea failed to make any detailed offer for talks and the rhetoric was largely along the line from a year ago, when the editorial said: "National reconciliation and cooperation should be promoted actively."

Tensions between the rival Koreas have reached some of the highest levels since their 1950-53 Korean War in 2010, when the North shelled an island in the South killing four people.

South Korea and its allies also blamed the North for torpedoing one of the South's navy ships in March, killing 46 sailors. Pyongyang denies the charge.