S Korea regrets over DPRK's decision of restricting inter-Korean programs

South Korean tourists take souvenir photo during a tour in Kaesong, North Korea, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008. North Korea said Monday it will shut down tours of the city of Kaesong and halt cross-border train service with South Korea starting next week. (AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man)

South Korean vehicles heading to North Korea city Kaesong are seen at customs, immigration and quarantine office in Paju, near the border village of the Panmunjom (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas since the Korean War, north of Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 24, 2008. (AP Photo/ Newsis, Hu Kyung)

SEOUL, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean government on Monday expressed "serious regret" over Pyongyang's decision of restricting inter-Korean economic cooperation programs.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) announced early on the day that it will suspend tourist program to its border city of Kaesong, shut border-crossings for economic cooperation and trade, halt the inter-Korean rail service and decrease South Korean manpower at the joint industrial complex at Kaesong from Dec. 1.

"The North's behavior of restricting and halting economic cooperation, which is meaningful to improving inter-Korean relations, constitutes a grave incident that would practically reverse the relations," said Kim Ho-nyoun, spokesman for the Unification Ministry, at a statement.

"The government will be firm with its position to develop inter-Korean relations, and is calling on the North to come to dialogue with South Korea," the statement said.

According to local media, the South Korean government convened an emergency meeting to discuss countermeasures to DPRK's announcement. But there is no further information about the countermeasures.

The inter-Korean ties have heavily deteriorated since South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took office in February this year. The DPRK has repeatedly criticized Lee's hardline policy towards Pyongyang.